Google, the world’s largest data collector, has recently come to a proposed settlement in a class action lawsuit, Brown v. Google. The lawsuit alleged that Google was illegally tracking user behavior through its private browsing feature, Incognito mode. The proposed settlement, valued at $5 billion, aims to address these concerns and provide greater transparency and accountability regarding user data collection.
If approved by a California federal judge, the settlement could impact 136 million Google users. As part of the agreement, Google has agreed to destroy or de-identify billions of records of web browsing data collected in Incognito mode. Additionally, the company will be required to disclose more information about how it collects data in Incognito mode and place limits on future data collection efforts.
Google spokesperson, José Castañeda, expressed the company’s satisfaction with settling the lawsuit, which they deemed meritless. Castañeda stated that Google does not associate data with users when they use Incognito mode and is willing to delete any old technical data that was not linked to individuals. Despite the plaintiffs valuing the settlement at $5 billion, Castañeda clarified that they would not be receiving any monetary compensation as part of the settlement.
As part of the settlement, Google has agreed to make changes to how it discloses the limitations of its private browsing services. The company has already started implementing these changes on Chrome. Additionally, Google has agreed to allow users to block third-party cookies by default in Incognito mode for the next five years to prevent tracking on external websites.
While the settlement does not include damages for the class as a whole, individual users have the option to file claims for damages in California state court. Already, there have been 50 claims filed by individuals seeking compensation for alleged privacy violations. This provides affected users with the opportunity to seek redress for any harm they believe they have suffered as a result of Google’s data collection practices.
Overall, the proposed settlement between Google and the plaintiffs in Brown v. Google represents a significant step towards improving data privacy and holding tech companies accountable for their practices. By requiring greater transparency and oversight of data collection efforts, the settlement seeks to uphold users’ right to privacy on the internet and prevent unauthorized tracking of user behavior.
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