Google to delete browsing data to resolve consumer privacy lawsuit | Technology News

Google has agreed to destroy billions of data records to settle a lawsuit that accused the tech giant of secretly tracking the internet use of people who believed they were browsing privately. The terms of the settlement were filed in federal court in Oakland, California, and are pending approval by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.

The settlement, valued at more than $5 billion by the plaintiffs’ lawyers, with some estimates as high as $7.8 billion, does not involve Google paying damages. However, individual users will have the option to sue the company for damages.

The class action lawsuit, which began in 2020, covers millions of Google users who used private browsing since June 1, 2016. Users alleged that Google’s analytics, cookies, and apps allowed the company to track individuals who used the Chrome browser in “Incognito” mode or other browsers in “private” browsing mode.

Under the terms of the settlement, Google will update its disclosures regarding data collection during private browsing sessions and will allow Incognito users to block third-party cookies for five years. This move is expected to reduce the amount of data collected from users’ private browsing sessions and decrease Google’s revenue from data collection.

Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda expressed the company’s satisfaction with settling the lawsuit, emphasizing that Google never associates data with users when they use Incognito mode. The plaintiffs’ lawyer, David Boies, hailed the settlement as a significant step towards holding tech companies accountable for their actions.

The preliminary settlement, reached in December, prevented a scheduled trial in 2024. The plaintiffs’ lawyers intend to seek unspecified legal fees from Google in the future. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, is headquartered in Mountain View, California.