Google admitted that it tracked users even in “private browsing” mode
Google has agreed to settle a lawsuit in the United States that claimed it violated users’ privacy by tracking them even in incognito mode.
This was reported by the BBC.
The motion was filed in 2020 and demanded compensation of at least $5 billion. Google submitted a settlement agreement, the terms of which were not disclosed, but it is expected to be approved by the court by February 2024.
The petition claimed that Google tracked users’ activity even in private browsing mode. The company interfered with users’ privacy by collecting information about their online activities even without their consent. Google claimed that they had openly communicated the collection of such information, but stated that it was not clear to users.
The judge rejected Google’s request to dismiss the case, believing that the company could not agree that users had consented to the collection of information about their activities in private browsing mode. This decision was made after the lawyers drafted a preliminary settlement agreement. Google also noted that collecting search history, even in private browsing mode, helps website owners measure the effectiveness of their content and marketing.
