Google is facing a wave of new lawsuits in San Jose after settling a federal class-action suit over its “Incognito” browsing mode. Thousands of users are now claiming that Google breached their trust by snooping on their secrets while using the supposedly private mode.
The law firm Boies Schiller Flexner, which settled the federal case on behalf of 136 million users, is now leading the charge in the new lawsuits. They have filed over 90 lawsuits in Santa Clara County Superior Court, each with 50 plaintiffs, accusing Google of violating state privacy and computer-fraud laws.
The lawsuits allege that Google knew it was deceiving users into thinking their browsing activity was private, while secretly collecting and profiting from their data. Google has denied these claims, calling the lawsuits “meritless” and vowing to defend itself vigorously.
Experts believe that the new lawsuits could be just the beginning, with potentially hundreds of millions of users seeking compensation from Google. However, proving damages may be a challenge for the plaintiffs, as they may need to reveal their browsing habits in court.
The lawsuits also highlight Google’s extensive data collection practices, alleging that the company builds detailed profiles of individual users by tracking their internet, phone, and app activity. Google has denied associating data with users in Incognito mode, but the lawsuits claim that the company profits from selling targeted ads based on this data.
As the legal battle intensifies, more law firms may join the fray, leading to complex court battles and potentially significant damages for Google. The outcome of these lawsuits could have far-reaching implications for online privacy and data collection practices.