Google has agreed to settle a significant lawsuit concerning privacy concerns, wherein it has pledged to delete billions of data records. The settlement terms, which were submitted to the federal court in Oakland, California, are awaiting approval from U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.
The lawsuit, initiated in 2020, represents millions of Google users who utilized private browsing modes since June 1, 2016. Allegations centered around Google’s purported tracking of individuals despite them using settings like “Incognito” mode in Chrome or equivalent privacy settings in other browsers.
READ: Google Admits Tracking You Even in Incognito Mode
Under the proposed settlement, Google will enhance disclosures regarding data collection during “private” browsing and enable users to block third-party cookies for up to five years. This move aims to mitigate data collection during private browsing sessions, potentially reducing Google’s revenue from such data.
Google has maintained its stance that it does not associate data with individual users during Incognito mode use, and it asserts that the collected data is not utilized for personalization.
This settlement marks a significant milestone in the ongoing debate surrounding the accountability of tech giants. But what implications could this settlement have for the future of online privacy?
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