As part of a class action lawsuit settlement, Google has agreed to delete user data collected through its Incognito browsing mode. The original 2020 lawsuit alleged that Google misled users about how Google’s Chrome browser tracked the activity of anyone who used the private browsing option. The settlement requires Google to destroy billions of data points, update disclosures about what it collects in private browsing, and give users the option to disable third-party tracking cookies. The lawsuit’s discovery phase unearthed internal exchanges involving Google executives debating private browsing disclosures, including the chief marketing officer warning the CEO that Incognito browsing should not be called “private” as it risked “exacerbating known misconceptions”.
