{"id":2369,"date":"2022-06-15T10:25:31","date_gmt":"2022-06-15T14:25:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/?p=2369"},"modified":"2022-06-17T11:00:54","modified_gmt":"2022-06-17T15:00:54","slug":"how-long-do-internet-providers-keep-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/how-long-do-internet-providers-keep-history\/","title":{"rendered":"How Long Do Internet Providers Keep History?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Are you looking at <strong>how long do Internet providers keep history?<\/strong> You could be concerned about Internet searches you&#8217;ve practiced or overprotective of your privacy, which could be spied on.<\/p>\n<p>Internet providers can <strong>see everything<\/strong> you are doing online on your computer on a mobile screen, but they do not store them for long. Also, remember, even if you have deleted all your browsing history or <a href=\"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/how-to-clear-cache-in-google-chrome\/\">deleted cache<\/a>, Internet providers can still access your every data.<\/p>\n<p>The web provider&#8217;s log or history records are not the same as the browsing history. If you do any search, even in <strong>incognito mode<\/strong>, it is also accessible. However, IPs don&#8217;t have much time to follow your <strong>every click<\/strong>. So, let&#8217;s discuss how long do Internet providers keep history.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_61 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/how-long-do-internet-providers-keep-history\/#How_Long_Do_Internet_Providers_Keep_History\" title=\"How Long Do Internet Providers Keep History?\">How Long Do Internet Providers Keep History?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/how-long-do-internet-providers-keep-history\/#Why_Do_Internet_Service_Providers_Keep_History\" title=\"Why Do Internet Service Providers Keep History?\">Why Do Internet Service Providers Keep History?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/how-long-do-internet-providers-keep-history\/#Can_Internet_Providers_See_Deleted_History\" title=\"Can Internet Providers See Deleted History?\">Can Internet Providers See Deleted History?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/how-long-do-internet-providers-keep-history\/#What_data_do_Internet_providers_store_How_long_do_Internet_providers_keep_history\" title=\"What data do Internet providers store? How long do Internet providers keep history?\">What data do Internet providers store? How long do Internet providers keep history?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/how-long-do-internet-providers-keep-history\/#Can_I_Delete_My_Internet_History\" title=\"Can I Delete My Internet History?\">Can I Delete My Internet History?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/how-long-do-internet-providers-keep-history\/#How_To_Stop_ISPs_From_Keeping_History\" title=\"How To Stop ISPs From Keeping History?\">How To Stop ISPs From Keeping History?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/how-long-do-internet-providers-keep-history\/#Can_I_Ask_My_ISPs_For_Internet_History\" title=\"Can I Ask My ISPs For Internet History?\">Can I Ask My ISPs For Internet History?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/how-long-do-internet-providers-keep-history\/#Final_Thoughts\" title=\"Final Thoughts\">Final Thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Long_Do_Internet_Providers_Keep_History\"><\/span><strong>How Long Do Internet Providers Keep History?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2371 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/internet-history.jpg\" alt=\"How Long Do Internet Providers Keep History\" width=\"667\" height=\"334\" srcset=\"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/internet-history.jpg 667w, https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/internet-history-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 667px) 100vw, 667px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Internet providers can keep a history maximum of <strong>up to 12 months\u00a0<\/strong>but usually, they keep history for<strong> 3 or 6 months<\/strong><strong>.<\/strong> It varies from ISPs to ISPs and Government to Government that makes special requests to hold the data for a more extended period; say 6 months or more.<\/p>\n<p>Internet providers on their own do not store the history of individual users, but yes, they can access any information you search on the Internet. For example, they can access the content you watch, your device, and your <strong>geographic location<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>It must be noted that ISPs keep history records as short as a <strong>day<\/strong> because the removing process is automated. If there is any <strong>legal requirement<\/strong> by any government or federal for the <strong>retention of data<\/strong>, they possibly store it for <strong>12\u00a0months<\/strong> at maximum.<\/p>\n<p>Storing the data for more than <strong>3 or 6 months<\/strong> is neither feasible, pragmatic, nor beneficial. Storing the tons of data for indefinite periods obviously <strong>requires a ton of space,<\/strong> and space costs money. So, ISPs look for store records as short as possible.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2374 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/ip-address-of-different-countries.jpg\" alt=\"how long do internet providers keep history\" width=\"762\" height=\"190\" srcset=\"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/ip-address-of-different-countries.jpg 762w, https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/ip-address-of-different-countries-300x75.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 762px) 100vw, 762px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If any country&#8217;s Government asks for tracing records or history from ISPs, they are obliged to provide the information.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For example &#8211;<\/strong>\u00a0In the <strong>USA<\/strong>, the Federal Government may ask to retain data for <strong>90 days<\/strong> according to US laws. In the <strong>UK<\/strong>, this time is 12 months; in <strong>Canada<\/strong>, this time is 6 months. Also, read<strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/how-to-get-wifi-without-internet-provider\/\">How To Get WiFi Without Internet Provider? 7 Best Ways<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Do_Internet_Service_Providers_Keep_History\"><\/span><strong>Why Do Internet Service Providers Keep History?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>After knowing how long do Internet providers keep history, you might be thinking about <strong>why<\/strong> Internet providers keep history. There are <strong>different reasons<\/strong> for an Internet provider to preserve the history of an individual or a whole nation.<\/p>\n<p>Commonly, Internet service providers store data and history to <strong>sell them to 3rd party advertisers<\/strong> and get paid in exchange. Now, you might argue why advertisers require my browsing history?<\/p>\n<p><strong>For example &#8211;<\/strong> A hardware company, <strong>X<\/strong>, wants to launch a headphone in California. The company asks for the geographic user behavior data of California to know the <strong>user preferences and requirements<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Internet provider keeps all the browsing history you have searched; however, they don&#8217;t keep them long until <strong>special requirement<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Secondly, <strong>Government also employs<\/strong> Internet service providers to learn more about specific individuals. Surveilling Internet users&#8217; online activity can assist authorities in catching criminals, terrorists, and other illegal activities.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_Internet_Providers_See_Deleted_History\"><\/span><strong>Can Internet Providers See Deleted History?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Yes<\/strong>, an Internet provider can see everything, including deleted browsing history. Your deleted browsing history has nothing to do with the history stored by the ISPs. However, as discussed in subsequent sections, you can stop Internet providers from keeping your history by <strong>using VPN<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Also Read &#8211;<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/how-to-disappear-completely-from-the-internet\/\">How To Disappear Completely From The Internet?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_data_do_Internet_providers_store_How_long_do_Internet_providers_keep_history\"><\/span><strong>What data do Internet providers store? How long do Internet providers keep history?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2379 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/store-online-history.jpg\" alt=\"isp keep your history\" width=\"728\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/store-online-history.jpg 728w, https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/store-online-history-300x103.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We already discussed how long do Internet providers keep history; let&#8217;s understand What data ISP&#8217;s store. There are <strong>two types<\/strong> of data that an ISP can access; unencrypted data and encrypted data.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Unencrypted<\/strong> data can be easily viewed and accessed by ISPs; on the other hand, while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ibm.com\/in-en\/topics\/encryption#:~:text=Data%20encryption%20is%20a%20way,Benefits%20of%20data%20encryption\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>encrypted<\/strong><\/a> data can not be stored fully yet, little available data can tell a lot about you.<\/p>\n<p>Not only ISPs but hackers, malware, and other viruses can also track, view, and sell your personal data if it is not encrypted. The websites you visit, your emails, downloads, and torrents can be accessed when your online presence is unencrypted.<\/p>\n<p>Although most Internet providers claim to have a &#8220;<strong>no-store policy,<\/strong>&#8221; yet this is unpredictable if they really delete the history. So it is better to have precautions as discussed below.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_Delete_My_Internet_History\"><\/span><strong>Can I Delete My Internet History?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>No<\/strong>, you can not delete your Internet history, but you can prevent your <strong>ISP from tracking you<\/strong>. Internet providers maintain their own logs, which <strong>you can not delete<\/strong>. Even you don&#8217;t know when and what information an ISP is storing.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_To_Stop_ISPs_From_Keeping_History\"><\/span><strong>How To Stop ISPs From Keeping History?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Unfortunately, you <strong>can&#8217;t completely prohibit<\/strong> ISPs from storing your online activity but can limit what they store. While after knowing how long do Internet providers keep history, the following are precautions you can take to stop the Internet provider from keeping your history:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Use A VPN:<\/strong><\/span> A VPN or virtual private network is the best solution to safeguard your history. VPN <strong>encrypts<\/strong> all your Internet traffic to and from through an Intermediary server. It means no one, even ISP, can read that data, and it bypasses VPN directly. VPN also <strong>masks your original IP address<\/strong> and replaces it with another location. The best available VPN is <a href=\"https:\/\/nordvpn.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NordVPN<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Use HTTPS Websites:<\/span><\/strong> If you stay aware, you even don&#8217;t require a VPN to encrypt your online data. This is because HTTPS websites are <strong>secured and encrypted<\/strong> (not completely, IPs can still browse history) as compared to HTTP websites.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_Ask_My_ISPs_For_Internet_History\"><\/span><strong>Can I Ask My ISPs For Internet History?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Your ISP keeps records of every website you visit and the files you download. Usually, Internet providers <strong>won&#8217;t share out<\/strong> your information with anyone or any customer. However, it also depends on the law enforcement of a specific country.<\/p>\n<p>For example, ISPs store information in the <strong>US for 90 days; <\/strong>you can&#8217;t ask them for the information. As an individual, Internet providers will not share information with you <strong>except in rare situations.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Final_Thoughts\"><\/span><strong>Final Thoughts<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>I hope you get the answer to how long do Internet providers keep history. Internet providers keep history as short as <strong>a day to 12 months maximum,<\/strong> depending on your country.<\/p>\n<p>In most cases, the history logs of IP are deleted in a fraction of a second because the data removal process is <strong>automated<\/strong>. It should be noted that ISPs won&#8217;t sell your data for illegal activities; they sell them to <strong>advertisers<\/strong> to improve productivity.<\/p>\n<p>However, if you are worried about spying on your data or the stored history or you think your <strong>privacy get hurts<\/strong>. Then you should <strong>use VPN<\/strong> for online browsing and access the websites safely, as discussed in the above sections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you looking at how long do Internet providers keep history? You could be concerned about Internet searches you&#8217;ve practiced or overprotective of your privacy, which could be spied on. Internet providers can see everything you are doing online on your computer on a mobile screen, but they do not store them for long. Also, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2382,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[200],"tags":[2784,2776,2793,2790,2781,2792,2791,2780,2794,2787,2795,2789,2788,2778,2774,2777,2785,2783,2782,2779,2786,2775],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2369"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2369"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2369\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2394,"href":"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2369\/revisions\/2394"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2382"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2369"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2369"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basicwebguide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}