Google has agreed to delete billions of user data records older than nine months following a lawsuit regarding the browser’s incognito mode. The move is part of the result of a 2020 class action suit that accused Google of collecting user data in incognito mode when people thought their browsing was private.
The issue stems from Google’s presentation of incognito mode, which many have argued is misleading about the privacy of browsing with it. For example, in 2013, Google employees encouraged the company to revamp the incognito landing page because they were concerned users would make “incorrect conclusions” about their privacy while using it.
In addition to deleting the browsing data, Google has agreed to inform users that their data is collected while they use incognito mode. It will also turn off third-party trackers in the feature by default. Furthermore, the settlement allows users to file individuals claims; 50 of them have already done so in California.
