“Google Agrees to Delete Incognito Search Data for Chrome Users in California”
In a significant move, technology giant Google has reached an agreement to erase the incognito search data of millions of Chrome browser users in California.
This marks the fourth settlement for Google in as many months, underscoring its commitment to user privacy. The agreement entails the deletion of billions of data points from users who utilized Chrome’s incognito mode. Ideally, no traces of user activity should persist in this mode.
As part of the settlement stemming from a lawsuit filed in 2020, Google will uphold the alteration to Incognito Mode for a duration of five years. This change will default to blocking third-party cookies that websites send to Chrome users, thereby curbing the extent of data collection.
Google has maintained that the incognito data it gathered was not linked to individual users and was never utilized to personalize their accounts. However, the lawsuit argued that Google’s promotion of Incognito mode misled users into believing that their internet activity would not be tracked.
Plaintiffs’ lawyers cited internal company emails indicating employee dissatisfaction with the functionality of incognito mode, prompting concerns about its efficacy.
Under the terms of the settlement, Google will provide enhanced disclosures regarding the information it collects in private browsing mode, fostering greater transparency for users.