Google to Delete Incognito Mode Data: What Users Need to Know

Google to Delete Incognito Mode Data: What Users Need to Know

By
Santiago Delgado
1 min read

Google has agreed to delete 'billions of event-level data records' collected on users' private browsing activities as part of a settlement in a class action lawsuit. The company will also make changes to Chrome's default settings to protect users' privacy, including deleting past incognito data before December 2023 and preventing the collection of third-party cookies in Incognito Mode for the next five years. Additionally, Google will be required to delete identifiable information and 'private browsing detection bits' that tracked users' decision to browse privately. However, users will not automatically receive monetary damages, although they can pursue damages on an individual basis. The agreement comes after a class action lawsuit filed in 2020 accused Google of violating federal wiretapping laws and California's privacy laws by tracking users even in Incognito Mode. The settlement, valued at $5 billion, was reached after mediation, but its terms were disclosed recently. This development highlights the ongoing concerns around user privacy and data collection, especially in the context of online browsing activities.

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