Google has agreed to delete any data collected when users use Chrome's incognito mode. This commitment is part of a collective action resolution initiated in 2020 against technology. The problem is data collected by Google when people used incognito mode, an option that allows Chrome users to “browse privately,” without access to their data. Websites Those who visit are saved in your browser history.
The terms of the agreement, which was reached at the end of 2023, were announced on Monday in the Federal Court in Oakland, California, USA. despite of in Google is not required to pay damages, and users can sue the company individually for damages. Lawyers in the office Boys Schiller & Flexner,Assessment of agreement in At least five One billion dollars (equivalent to 4.4 billion euros).
The class action lawsuit covers millions of Google users who used the company's incognito mode between 2016 and 2020. According to users, biscuit And the Applications Google collected information about incognito sessions without making it clear.
Under the terms of the agreement, Google must clarify information about what is collected in Incognito Mode, a process that has already begun. The company should also allow incognito users to be blocked biscuit from third parties for a period of five years. PÚBLICO stressed that the measures apply worldwide.
As a general rule, biscuit Third-party services (also known as trackers) store basic information and users' search habits (location, interest, gender, language) related to brands that want to sell products Connected. For many years, Google has been developing alternatives that allow it to share relevant information with advertisers, without collecting excessive data.
Google “satisfied with the decision”
Google spokesman Jose Castañeda said the company was happy with the decision of the lawsuit, which it had always considered futile. “We never link data to users when they use incognito mode,” Castañeda said. “We are happy to delete outdated technical data that was never associated with individuals and was never used for any form of personalization.”
David Boies, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys, called the settlement “a historic step forward in demanding honesty and accountability from dominant technology companies.”
“Results [do processo judicial] “is that Google will collect less data from users’ private browsing sessions and will make less money from that data,” sums up Google’s defense.
A tentative agreement was reached in December, avoiding a trial scheduled for February 5, 2024.
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