It is probably safe to say that almost all of us have visited sites at one time or another that we wouldn't necessarily want others to know about if they got ahold of our computer. Be it porn sites, far-right sites in a liberal household, or even sites about a medical condition that we may not want loved ones to know about, these are what the "private browser window" was invented for.
However, a new patent filed by Microsoft, likely for its Edge browser, would take that InPrivate window to a new level. Instead of actively opening the window or tab when you know you are going to a site that you don't want to be tracked, the new idea would automatically switch browser modes based on the site you visit.
According to the summary of the filing, entitled "Automation of Browser Mode Switching":
Techniques for automation of browsing mode switching are described. According to various implementations, a web browser is operable in multiple different browsing modes, including a normal browsing mode and a private browsing mode. Techniques described herein enable automatic switching between browsing modes based on different mode triggers, and enable user configuration of various mode change behaviors.
The patent offers 13 different drawings, showing different examples of when the browsing modes could be switched, and flow charts detailing the logic behind them.
While this is all well and good, there is a question of how the information would be retained and what type of sites would be included. For example, the sites could be stored in a secure location on your PC or a cloud service. Types of sites would obviously include adult content, but could also include social media or even medical sites.
As with any patent filing, this is purely an idea and may never make it to an Edge browser.
Source: MSPoweruser
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