GabyMany people search for things on Google that they would prefer to keep hidden. The Norwegian company Opera GX aims to relieve users of these worries once and for all. It offers a tool called “Fake History,” which permanently erases browsing history. Company representatives claim that this new feature allows users to replace questionable activity with a series of more legitimate views, so that their real data can disappear online.
“Fake story” with a false list of visited websites
Users can choose the most neutral search queries, such as “How to build a birdhouse” or “Local volunteering opportunities,” instead of what they actually searched for. This way, they can alter their true browsing of websites online.
As noted by product director Maciej Koćemba, with the “Fake My History” feature, you can completely replace your digital actions with a fake version of your past web browsing. The Opera GX web browser is primarily aimed at gamers, with Discord and Twitch integration on the sidebar.
The browsing history modification tool can be installed on both Windows computers and Apple devices. The “Fake History” feature starts working after 14 consecutive days of inactivity in web browsing, and the visited sites are replaced with a fake list.
Fabricated search queries are carefully selected from a set of predefined URLs and often relate to charity and “responsible” living. Although this list is quite extensive, some of the data may be reused if the browsing history is exceptionally large. As noted by the publication Daily Mail The company Opera GX claims that this adds realism, as users typically visit their favorite websites more than once.
According to the developers, after activation, the “Fake History” feature will clear your history and replace it with a fabricated one after two weeks of inactivity. If you wish to apply it immediately, you can activate the “Play Dead” mode. This will allow you to instantly replace your browsing history with a curated new one.
“Fake history” as a part of privacy on the internet
This feature, though brazen, emerged at a time when more than a third of Britons admitted to tracking their partners’ devices. Online privacy is also at the center of discussions amid ongoing reports of cybercrime and fraud.
However, the company immediately emphasizes that the “Fake History” tool cannot be used to conceal crimes. According to the developers, it is important to distinguish between browsing history and search history. “Fake History” replaces your browsing history but not your search history.
This means that with its help, you can change the list of websites you have actually visited through your browser. As the developers explain, this information is stored locally on your device while browsing web pages and remains there until you decide to clear it.
Some users clear it regularly, some never, and some do it every time they close the browser. In fact, regularly clearing your web browsing history is a recommended practice for privacy and security in all browsers.
Take care of your online presence.
ESET cybersecurity expert Jake Moore also emphasizes the importance of being mindful of one’s online footprint. According to him, any feature that helps protect privacy in any form is a step in the right direction. People should always consider their online presence. However, deleting data is merely the absence of a record of information in the first place, as deleted data is not quickly overwritten and remains on the hard drive in a somewhat different form.
To try out “Fake History” in action, you first need to install the Opera GX browser and launch it. After that, click on the clock icon in the left column and go to the “History” page. Here, you can select “Redeem My Soul,” which allows you to activate “Fake History.” Once activated, fabricated URLs will replace any previous search views.
