Google facing $5bn lawsuit over Chrome’s not-so-incognito mode

Google says it clearly specifies what Incognito mode is and isn’t

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A lawsuit that alleges thatGoogle Chrometracks users even in its incognito mode has been given the go-ahead after a judge ruled againstGoogle’s request for dismissal.

A class action lawsuit,originally filedin the United States in June 2020 and seeking $5bn in damages, alleges that thebrowserallows websites to collect personal information about the users even when browsing in the Incognito mode.

The lawsuit alleges that Google tools such asGoogle Analytics, Google Ad Manager and others keep collecting personal information, even when they’ve supposedly asked them not to by using the browser in the private mode.

Going to court

Google has vowed to “vigorously” defend itself as it refuted the claims made in the lawsuit.

“Incognito mode in Chrome gives you the choice to browse the internet without your activity being saved to your browser or device. As we clearly state each time you open a new incognito tab, websites might be able to collect information about your browsing activity during your session,” Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda toldEngadget.

Not impressed by Google’s argument, Judge Lucy Koh has sided with the plaintiffs, noting that Google failed to notify users about the data collection when in the private browsing mode.

The timing of the lawsuit is interesting as it comes on the heels of the search enginemaking the right noisesto defend theprivacyof its users from advertisers. The company has pledged to bat for its users help them guard their privacy byphasing out tracking cookiesand launching thePrivacy Sandboxinitiative to defend open standards for enhancing online privacy.

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Via:Engadget

With almost two decades of writing and reporting on Linux, Mayank Sharma would like everyone to think he’sTechRadar Pro’sexpert on the topic. Of course, he’s just as interested in other computing topics, particularly cybersecurity, cloud, containers, and coding.

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