Google will delete browsing data
As part of the deal, Google will not pay damages; nevertheless, impacted consumers will still be able to sue the business on an individual basis for damages.
Google has consented to resolve a lawsuit alleging that it surreptitiously monitored users' internet activity when they thought they were browsing in private. The details of the settlement were submitted to U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers for approval in federal court in Oakland, California.
Plaintiffs' attorneys project the settlement's value to be more than $5 billion, with a potential value of $7.8 billion. As part of the deal, Google will not pay damages; nevertheless, impacted consumers will still be able to sue the business on an individual basis for damages.
Starting in 2020, millions of Google users who have used private browsing since June 1, 2016, are covered by the class action. Google was accused of tracking people unlawfully when they used the "Incognito" mode on Google Chrome and other private browsing modes on other browsers, thanks to its analytics, cookies, and apps, according to the allegations made against the firm.
The plaintiffs contended that Google's conduct allowed it to become a "unaccountable trove of information," collecting information about users' habits, personal interests, and internet searches.
Google will enhance disclosures about its private browsing session data collection methods in accordance with the conditions of the settlement, a process that is already under way. For a duration of five years, users in Incognito mode will also be able to block third-party cookies.
Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda stressed the company's dedication to customer privacy in reaction to the settlement, saying that when utilizing Incognito mode, they do not associate data with specific individuals. Castaneda continued, "Google is happy to remove outdated technical data that was never used for personalization or to link to specific individuals."
Plaintiffs' attorney David Boies praised the deal as a "historic step" in making powerful internet giants answerable for their deeds.
The specifics of the preliminary settlement, which was agreed in December, were not published at the time and the trial was scheduled for February 5, 2024. Later on, the plaintiffs' attorneys want to pursue Google for unspecified legal fees.
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