Does an internet service provider know the sites visited while in private browsing mode?

When utilizing private browsing mode, also known as incognito mode in many browsers, the local browser does not store history or site data after the session is closed. However, this mode does not completely obscure online activity from external parties.

An internet service provider (ISP) can still see the websites visited during a private browsing session. While private browsing helps prevent local storage of browsing history on the device, it does not provide anonymity from the ISP or from websites visited. The ISP can monitor the traffic that passes through its networks, and that includes the data about which sites are accessed.

The correct understanding is that private browsing primarily protects user privacy from on-device tracking and does not affect the visibility of browsing activity to ISPs or websites. Thus, the assertion that the ISP does not know the sites visited while in private browsing mode is inaccurate.