Google Settles Lawsuit Over Tracking 'Incognito Mode' Chrome Users
DarkreadingJan 02
Google Will Delete Incognito Tracking Records
The Facts
Lawyers for a class-action settlement said in court papers filed on Monday that Google agreed to delete information it had gathered about people who used Chrome's "Incognito" secret browsing mode.
The agreement to delete billions of records aims to resolve a 2020 US class action lawsuit that accused the internet giant of gathering user data even in "private mode." Google supports the deal but challenges the $5B in damages as well as the claims.
The Spin
Narrative A
Google has infringed on users' privacy and intentionally deceived consumers. The tech giant has gathered enormous amounts of data from users who believed the company would keep their data safe. After that, the company used this information to track web traffic and sell ads, which made them billions of dollars. Google should pay for damages, not just for lying but also for invading user privacy.
Narrative B
Google has long thought that the complaint was without merit. However, the tech leader is happy to resolve the issue and move on. Deleting outdated technical data that has never been utilized for customization is not an issue. The data was never connected with any individual, thus no harm was done. As a result, Google will not pay any damages to any of the plaintiffs.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that Google will be supplanted as the top search engine in the US by market share by July 2046, according to the Metaculus prediction community.