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A proposed class-action settlement filed on Monday aims to resolve a lawsuit against Google for allegedly tracking user activity in Incognito mode, a private browsing feature in Chrome.
The settlement, if approved by a California federal judge, could impact over 136 million Google users in the United States.
The lawsuit, filed in 2020, claimed Google deceived users by collecting browsing data even while in Incognito mode. Under the proposed settlement, Google would:
Destroy or De-identify Data: Google must delete or anonymize billions of records of web browsing data it collected from users in Incognito mode before December 2023.
Increase Transparency: The company agrees to provide clearer explanations about data collection practices in Incognito mode.
Limit Future Data Collection: Google will implement limitations on how it gathers user data during private browsing sessions.
The settlement's value is estimated at $5 billion, based on the data Google must delete and the restrictions on future data collection.
However, the settlement does not provide individual compensation for users, though individuals have the option to pursue separate claims.
Google maintains they never collected data associated with individual users in Incognito mode.
They claim the settlement pertains to "old technical data" not used for personalization.
The agreement also requires improvements in how Google communicates the limitations of Incognito mode. Google has already begun implementing these changes in Chrome.
Additionally, for the next five years, Google will enable users to automatically block third-party cookies in Incognito mode, further limiting tracking across websites.
The California court will review the settlement proposal. If approved, it would be a significant development in user privacy and data collection practices online.
