Google has reached an agreement to erase a significant amount of search data in response to a lawsuit alleging that it tracked millions of US users who believed they were browsing privately.
If approved by a judge, the proposed settlement filed in San Francisco federal court requires Google to delete or rectify billions of data records associated with individuals using the Chrome browser’s incognito mode, according to court documents.
David Boies, a lawyer involved in the case, hailed the settlement as a milestone in holding tech giants accountable for their data practices and ensuring transparency with users.
A hearing is scheduled for July 30 before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers to determine the approval of the deal, which would allow Google to avoid a trial in the class-action suit.
While the settlement does not include monetary damages, Chrome users who believe they were affected by Google’s actions retain the option to pursue separate legal action for compensation.
Originally filed in June 2020, the lawsuit sought damages of at least $5 billion.
Google spokesman Jorge Castaneda expressed satisfaction with the settlement, stating that the company is committed to removing old technical data unrelated to individuals and not utilized for personalization.
The lawsuit centered on Google’s “Incognito Mode” in Chrome, which plaintiffs argued misled users into believing their online activity was not tracked by the tech giant.
Internal Google emails revealed during the lawsuit indicated that even in incognito mode, users’ browsing activity was monitored for purposes such as measuring web traffic and serving targeted ads.
The lawsuit alleged that Google’s practices violated users’ privacy by deceptively presenting the incognito option.
As part of the settlement, Google is mandated to block third-party tracking cookies by default in Incognito Mode for the next five years.
Third-party cookies, which track web navigation to target advertising, have raised privacy concerns and are placed by visited sites rather than the browser itself.
Google has already begun limiting third-party cookies for certain Chrome users earlier this year, moving towards eventually phasing out these files entirely.
The move aligns with increasing regulatory scrutiny over cookies, including regulations such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California’s privacy laws.
