Google Agrees to Delete Billions of Records in Incognito Tracking Settlement
Google has agreed to delete billions of records and accept restrictions on tracking users as part of a proposed legal settlement. The settlement aims to resolve a class action lawsuit accusing Google of invading users' privacy in Incognito mode. Google disputes the claims but has already made changes in response to the lawsuit.
Google has reached a proposed legal settlement to delete billions of records and impose restrictions on its ability to track users' online activities. The settlement aims to resolve a class action lawsuit filed in the US in 2020, which accused the tech giant of invading users' privacy by collecting their data even when they were browsing in "private mode". The lawsuit sought $5 billion in damages.
While Google disputes the claims made in the lawsuit, it has already made changes in response to the legal action. The data deletion will not be limited to the United States but will apply globally. In January, shortly after the settlement plans were announced, Google updated its disclosures to clarify that user data was still being tracked even when users opted for private browsing or used the "Incognito" setting. Although Incognito mode provides some increased privacy by not saving browsing activity on the device, Google's tracking practices were still in effect.
As part of the settlement deal, Google has agreed to automatically block third-party cookies, which track user activity, for all Google Chrome users. This feature was already implemented for Incognito users following the filing of the lawsuit in 2020. The settlement also requires Google to maintain this limitation for five years. Additionally, Google has committed to deleting "hundreds of billions" of private browsing data records it had collected.
"We are pleased to settle this lawsuit, which we always believed was meritless," said Google spokesman Jorge Castaneda. He emphasised that Google will not be paying any damages and expressed the company's willingness to delete old technical data that was not associated with individuals and was not used for personalisation.
Despite this settlement, Google still faces other privacy violation lawsuits that could result in financial penalties. Lawyer David Boies, who represented users in the class action lawsuit, described the settlement as an "historic step in requiring honesty and accountability from dominant technology companies".
The court filing revealed internal documents in which Google employees referred to Incognito mode as "effectively a lie" and "a confusing mess". Last year, Judge Yvonne Rogers rejected Google's attempt to dismiss the case, stating that she could not agree that users had consented to Google collecting information on their browsing activity.
The proposed settlement will now be presented to the court for approval. This development comes at a time when major tech companies are facing increased scrutiny of their practices, both in the US and internationally. Google and its parent company Alphabet are currently facing two separate monopoly cases brought by the US federal government. The company has also recently settled other lawsuits, including a $400 million settlement related to location tracking and a $700 million settlement regarding competition in its Play Store on Android devices.
Google has agreed to delete billions of records and accept restrictions on tracking users as part of a proposed legal settlement.
The settlement aims to resolve a class action lawsuit accusing Google of invading users' privacy in Incognito mode.
Google disputes the claims but has already made changes in response to the lawsuit.
Source: BBC