Google Settles Lawsuit Over Incognito Mode Tracking
Google has agreed to destroy a vast trove of data as part of a settlement over a lawsuit that accused the search giant of tracking consumers even when they were browsing the web using "incognito" mode, which ostensibly keeps people's online activity private.
The details of the settlement were disclosed Monday in San Francisco federal court, with a legal filing noting that Google will "delete and/or remediate billions of data records that reflect class members' private browsing activities."
The value of the settlement is more than $5 billion, according to Monday's filing.
The settlement stems from a 2020 lawsuit that claimed Google misled users into believing that it wouldn't track their internet activities while they used incognito. The settlement also requires Google to change incognito mode so that users for the next five years can block third-party cookies by default.
"This settlement is an historic step in requiring dominant technology companies to be honest in their representations to users about how the companies collect and employ user data, and to delete and remediate data collected," the settlement filing states.
Despite reaching an initial settlement in December, new details have emerged regarding the agreement between Google and the plaintiffs, who are represented by attorney David Boies of Boies Schiller Flexner and other legal representatives.
There has been no immediate response from Google or Boies Schiller Flexner regarding a request for comment.
"This settlement ensures genuine accountability and transparency from the largest data collector in the world, marking a significant step towards enhancing and protecting our right to online privacy," stated the court document.
