Google will delete browsing data as part of a resolution for a consumer privacy.

[Navneet Kumar]

A class-action lawsuit settlement between Google and users who claimed Google tracked their browsing activity even in "incognito" mode.
Google has agreed to dispose of billions of data records to resolve a lawsuit alleging that it covertly monitored the internet activities of individuals who believed they were browsing privately.The settlement terms were submitted on Monday in federal court in Oakland, California, and await approval from U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. Lawyers for the plaintiffs valued the accord at more than $5 billion, and as high as $7.8 billion. Google is paying no damages, but users may sue the company individually for damages. Users claimed that Google's analytics, cookies, and apps allowed Alphabet's new tab unit to improperly monitor individuals who set Google's Chrome browser to "Incognito" mode and other browsers to "private" browsing mode. They said this turned Google into an “unaccountable trove of information” by letting it learn about their friends, favorite foods, hobbies, shopping habits, and the “most intimate and potentially embarrassing things” they hunt for online. As per the settlement, Google will enhance disclosures regarding its data collection practices in "private" browsing, a process it has already initiated. Additionally, it will allow Incognito users to block third-party cookies for a duration of five years. "The outcome is a reduction in the data collected from users' private browsing sessions, resulting in decreased revenue for Google," stated the plaintiffs' attorneys. Google spokesman Jose Castaneda expressed satisfaction with resolving the lawsuit, which the company consistently deemed meritless. “We never associate data with users when they use Incognito mode,” Castaneda said. “We are happy to delete old technical data that was never associated with an individual and was never used for any form of personalization.” David Boies, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, in a statement called the settlement “a historic step in requiring honesty and accountability from dominant technology companies.” A preliminary settlement had been reached in December, averting a scheduled Feb. 5, 2024 trial. Terms were not disclosed at the time. The plaintiffs’ lawyers plan to later seek unspecified legal fees payable by Google. Alphabet is based in Mountain View, California. The case is Brown et al v Google LLC et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 20-03664.