Google recently reached a preliminary settlement in a $5 billion class-action lawsuit alleging that it tracked users' activity even when they were using incognito mode in Chrome or similar private browsing modes in other browsers.
The lawsuit claimed that Google misled users about the privacy protections offered by incognito mode, which is often used for activities like browsing sensitive topics or making purchases without leaving a trace in the device's browsing history. While incognito mode does prevent browsing history from being saved on the device itself, the lawsuit argued that Google continued to collect data about users' activity through other means, such as cookies and advertising identifiers.
While the exact terms of the settlement are still confidential and require court approval, it marks a significant development in the ongoing debate about online privacy and the practices of big tech companies. It also highlights the importance of being aware of the limitations of incognito mode and other privacy settings, and exploring alternative tools and practices for protecting your online privacy.
Elaborated:
The class-action lawsuit filed in 2020 said Google misled users into believing that it wouldn’t track their internet activities while using incognito mode. It argued that Google's advertising technologies and other techniques continued to catalog details of users' site visits and activities despite their use of supposedly “private” browsing.
Plaintiffs also charged that Google's activities yielded an “unaccountable trove of information” about users who thought they'd taken steps to protect their privacy.
The settlement, reached Thursday, must still be approved by a federal judge. Terms weren’t disclosed, but the suit originally sought $5 billion on behalf of users; lawyers for the plaintiffs said they expect to present the court with a final settlement agreement by Feb. 24.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the settlement.
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