When you want to privately browse the web, you probably switch your Chrome browser to “Incognito” mode, believing your activity stays between you and the sites you visit.
After all, according to Google Support, “In Incognito, none of your browsing history, cookies and site data, or information entered in forms are saved on your device. This means your activity doesn’t show up in your Chrome browser history, so people who also use your device won’t see your activity. Websites see you as a new user and won’t know who you are, as long as you don’t sign in.”
Perfectly private, right?
Not really.
Google Agrees to Settle $5 Billion Class Action Lawsuit Over Tracking Users in ‘Incognito’ Mode via @gatewaypundit https://t.co/HHCdI3xFWp
— The Gateway Pundit (@gatewaypundit) December 30, 2023
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According to Blaze Media, Google has agreed to settle a major class action privacy lawsuit accusing the company of tracking users’ browsing activity even when using the Chrome browser’s “Incognito” private mode.
The lawsuit filed in 2020 in the U.S. District Court for Northern California alleged that Google misled consumers into believing that enabling Incognito mode stopped the company from collecting data on websites they visited. However, the complaint stated that Google analytics tools, third-party plug-ins and apps continued gathering user information to optimize ads and site traffic.
Plaintiffs in the case alleged that Google’s ability to track users has resulted in the search engine becoming an “unaccountable trove of information” with information about users’ friends, hobbies, favorite foods, shopping habits and “potentially embarrassing things” that people may look for online, according to Reuters.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has also been sounding the alarm about Google’s deceptive practices.
Do you trust Google?
In a petition filed at a Texas District Court, Paxton wrote, “Given Google’s representations, a reasonable user would expect that turning a setting called ‘Location History’ off means their location history is no longer tracked. But even with Location History off, Google deceptively continues to track users’ location history unless they successfully navigate a counterintuitive labyrinth of seemingly unrelated settings.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed an amended lawsuit that claims Google’s Incognito mode still collects “an array of personal data.” Texas first sued Google in January over location tracking. #PRIVACY pic.twitter.com/aPvdlItz6Y
— PunchDrunk Digital (@PunchDrunkDigi) June 4, 2022
Google initially disputed the claims and sought dismissal of the case. But Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers noted policies implying limits on collecting Incognito data. Internal emails that appeared contradictory to their public statements were also cited in the suit.
With a scheduled February 2024 trial on hold for settlement talks, Google’s parent company, Alphabet, agreed to a settlement, Blaze Media reported.
While the initial lawsuit demanded a total of $5 billion in damages, at least $5,000 in damages per user, Google likely settled for far less. Settlement details remain confidential pending court approval, which is expected by late February.
Technology companies exist to build wealth for their shareholders, and one must be aware of the fact that despite all assurances, your interactions on the net are not private.
When billions of dollars in ad revenue depend on tracking your every click, expecting tech companies to follow ethical or moral guidelines regarding privacy is as foolish as expecting an addict to turn down a free hit.
