Saikiran Uppuluri
Saikiran Uppuluri
In a landmark settlement, Google has agreed to delete billions of user data records to resolve a class-action lawsuit alleging that the tech giant tracked users’ browsing activities even when they were using the Incognito Mode in Chrome. The proposed settlement, filed in a San Francisco federal court, requires Google to “delete and/or remediate” the vast trove of data collected from users who believed they were browsing privately.
The lawsuit, initially filed in June 2020, accused Google of intentionally deceiving users by violating their privacy expectations with the Incognito Mode feature. Internal emails revealed that Google had been tracking user activities in Incognito Mode for purposes such as measuring web traffic and selling advertisements, despite the mode’s purported privacy protections.
Under the terms of the settlement, Google will be required to implement significant changes to its data collection practices. For the next five years, the company must block third-party tracking cookies by default in Incognito Mode. These cookies, typically used for targeted advertising, have been a subject of increasing privacy concerns and regulations, including the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California’s privacy laws.
While the settlement does not involve any cash damages, it leaves the door open for affected Chrome users to pursue separate lawsuits against Google to seek monetary compensation. The original complaint had sought at least $5 billion in damages, alleging that Google had amassed an “unaccountable trove of information” about individuals’ lives, interests, and internet usage habits.
In a statement, Google spokesperson Jorge Castaneda acknowledged the settlement, expressing the company’s belief that the lawsuit was “meritless.” However, he stated that Google is “happy to delete old technical data that was never associated with an individual and was never used for any form of personalization.”
The settlement is subject to approval by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, with a hearing scheduled for July 30. If approved, it would represent a significant victory for privacy advocates and a crucial step toward holding tech giants accountable for their data collection practices and user representations.
As the digital landscape continues to evolve, this settlement underscores the growing importance of transparency, user consent, and responsible data handling practices in the tech industry.
