Google promises to erase Incognito browsing data as part of settlement

What do you want to know

• Google has agreed to delete billions of browsing data in an attempt to settle the Incognito class action lawsuit.
• The tech giant also agreed to update its warnings about private browsing practices.
• Google said it would not pay damages.

This week, Google agreed to erase a trove of browsing data in an attempt to settle the infamous Incognito Mode lawsuit, which first came to light in 2020, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The lawsuit alleged that Google Chrome tracks its users’ browsing data even in “incognito” mode, which allows users to browse without saving their browsing history. It also claims the tech giant was not upfront about its data policies and misled its customers.

Earlier in January, Google admitted that it was tracking users in incognito mode, even though Chrome didn’t record their browsing data. Even though it is clearly marked each time you open a new Incognito tab, websites may be able to collect information about your browsing activity during your session.

According to the publication, details of the settlement were filed in San Francisco federal court, indicating that the company will now work to change its private browsing policies.

Additionally, Google agreed to destroy billions of pieces of data that the lawsuit claims were improperly collected, to update information on its website indicating corrected private browsing policies, and also to give Chrome users the ability to disable third-party cookies.

“At a high level, we have made several important changes to our information to clarify how your data is collected and the visibility of your activities when you visit a website in incognito mode,” said a spokesperson for Google.

The lawsuit alleged that Google violated federal wiretapping laws because of this discrepancy. As compensation, the plaintiffs sought a minimum of $5 billion, although Google confirmed to Android Central that it would not pay these damages. Nonetheless, Boies notes that the settlement represents “a historic step in demanding honesty and accountability from dominant technology companies.” » said Boies.

The WSJ says the deal still needs final approval from Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of the Northern District of California.

Android Central contacted Google about this settlement and a spokesperson said they were happy to settle this lawsuit, which they have always considered to be without merit.

“We never associate data with users when they use Incognito mode. We are happy to remove old technical data that has never been associated with an individual and has never been used for any form of personalization “added Castañeda.