Google has reached a landmark agreement to erase vast amounts of search data collected from users who believed they were browsing in private using the Chrome browser’s Incognito Mode. This decision comes as part of a proposed settlement aimed at concluding a lawsuit accusing the tech giant of misleading millions of U.S. users about the privacy of their online activities. The settlement, pending approval from Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in a San Francisco federal court, stipulates that Google must “delete and/or remediate billions of data records” related to Incognito Mode usage, highlighting a significant shift in how technology firms handle user data and privacy representations.
David Boies, representing the plaintiffs, hailed the settlement as a pivotal moment for enforcing transparency and accountability among leading technology corporations concerning user data collection and usage practices. The agreement, set for judicial review on July 30, could enable Google to bypass a trial in the class-action lawsuit, originally filed in June 2020, demanding over $5 billion in damages for alleged privacy violations.
Google’s spokesperson, Jorge Castaneda, expressed relief at reaching the settlement, maintaining the company’s stance on the lawsuit’s lack of merit. He emphasized Google’s commitment to deleting obsolete technical data that was never tied to individuals or utilized for personalization purposes. This move addresses the core issue of the lawsuit, which revolved around the misconception among Chrome users that Incognito Mode offered complete privacy from Google’s data tracking and advertising mechanisms.
Internal communications disclosed during the lawsuit revealed that despite using Incognito Mode, users’ online behaviors were still being monitored by Google for web traffic analysis and advertisement sales. The lawsuit accused Google of infringing on user privacy by misleading them about the protections afforded by the Incognito option, allowing the company unprecedented access to intimate details of users’ lives and online habits.
As part of the settlement, Google is mandated to implement measures that block third-party tracking cookies by default in Incognito Mode for the next five years. These cookies, which are crucial for targeted advertising but have raised significant privacy concerns, are created by websites visited by the user rather than the browser itself. Google’s decision to limit third-party cookies in Chrome earlier this year marked an initial step towards phasing out these files altogether, a process announced in January 2020 but faced with delays and resistance from various stakeholders, including web publishers.
The move to eradicate third-party cookies aligns with increasing regulatory scrutiny over online privacy, including the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation and similar laws in California. Google’s agreement to delete incognito search data represents a critical development in the ongoing dialogue about digital privacy, signaling potential changes in how technology companies engage with user data amidst evolving legal and ethical standards.
Source: Vanguard
