DNS & ISP
How Your ISP Tracks You
What Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T can legally collect and sell about your browsing - and how to stop it.
What ISPs Can Collect
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Every domain you visitVia DNS queries - even apps, not just browsers. Even in incognito mode.
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Time spent on each siteConnection duration is logged at the router level.
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All devices on your networkEvery device that connects through your modem.
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Your locationBased on IP address - accurate to neighborhood level.
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Unencrypted trafficAny HTTP sites - full content visible to your ISP.
Incognito Does Not Help
IMPORTANT
Incognito mode only prevents your browser from saving local history. Your ISP can still see every site you visit. It is not privacy protection - it is browser history cleanup.
How to Limit ISP Tracking
01
Use DNS over HTTPSEncrypts DNS queries so your ISP cannot log which domains you visit. The single most effective step for most households.
02
Use HTTPS websitesThe padlock in your browser means content is encrypted. Your ISP sees the domain but not the specific pages.
03
Use a reputable VPNRoutes all traffic encrypted through a tunnel. You are now trusting the VPN instead of your ISP. Free VPNs often sell your data themselves.
04
DNS-level ad blockingBlocks tracker domains before they load, shrinking your data footprint across all devices.