Google to destroy ‘incognito’ browsing data in settlement
Make us a preferred source
Make us a preferred source on Google
The news: Google has pledged to destroy the data collected from users browsing in ‘incognito’ mode in order to settle a US lawsuit that accused the tech giant of tracking users without their knowledge.
The numbers: Shares in Google's parent company Alphabet were up 2.5% during early trading on Monday.
The context: A class action filed in 2020 accused Google of misleading users about the way in which Chrome tracked the activity of users in ‘Incognito’ mode. It argued that Google’s marketing and privacy disclosures did not properly inform users of the types of data being collected.
Under the settlement agreement, Google will destroy billions of data points collected without user consent, update disclosures about its collection processes, and will give users the option to disable third-party cookies in incognito mode. While the settlement does not include damages for individual users, it will allow individuals to file claims.
Google is currently battling a slew of legal and regulatory battles across the globe, and was most recently fined €250 million ($415.58 million) by the French competition regulator for breaching agreements on remuneration for media outlets for reproducing their online content.
The source: Wall Street Journal
