San Francisco, CA. Google has reached a settlement agreement in a $5 billion privacy lawsuit that accused the tech giant of monitoring individuals using the “incognito” mode on its Chrome browser, as well as similar “private” modes in other browsers, to track their online activities.
The class-action lawsuit, initiated in 2020, alleged that Google had misled users by suggesting that their internet activities would remain undisclosed while using incognito mode. According to the complaint, Google’s advertising technologies and other methods continued to collect information about users’ site visits and online behaviors, despite their use of supposedly “private” browsing settings.
Plaintiffs argued that Google’s actions resulted in an “unaccountable trove of information” about users who believed they had taken steps to safeguard their online privacy.
The settlement, reached on Thursday, is still subject to approval by a federal judge. While the specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed, the initial lawsuit sought $5 billion in damages on behalf of affected users. Lawyers representing the plaintiffs anticipate presenting the final settlement agreement to the court by February 24.
Google has not yet provided a response to the settlement, as they did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
This development underscores the increasing scrutiny technology companies face regarding user privacy. The outcome of this lawsuit may have significant implications for how tech companies communicate and implement privacy features in their products.
Carlo Juancho FuntanillaFrontend Developer, WordPress, Shopify
Contributing Editor
AMA ACLC San Pablo
