Google has settled a consumer privacy lawsuit, which demanded at least $5 billion in damages. The lawsuit accused Google of misleading users into believing their online activities were private while using the “incognito” mode in the Chrome browser.
Plaintiffs argued that this feature falsely implied a sense of privacy, whereas Google, in reality, was tracking user data for web traffic analysis and ad sales.
Evidence in the lawsuit, including internal Google emails, revealed that users in incognito mode were still tracked by Google’s services like Google Analytics and Ad Manager. The class action lawsuit, initiated in 2020, alleged that “millions of individuals” were affected, with plaintiffs seeking $5,000 per affected user.
While the final settlement amount remains undisclosed, it is expected to be lower than the initial claim of $5 billion. The formal settlement awaits court approval, which is expected by February 24, 2024.
Implications and Broader Context of the Lawsuit
The settlement follows the denial of Google’s request to have the case decided by a judge, setting the stage for a jury trial in the upcoming year. The lawsuit, filed in a California court, accused Google of infringing on user privacy by “intentionally” misleading users with the incognito browsing option. The complaint highlighted the extent of personal data collection by Google, drawing parallels to dystopian surveillance.
Class action lawsuits have become a primary method for challenging major tech companies on data privacy in the United States, which currently lacks a comprehensive personal data handling law.
The case adds to Google’s history of privacy-related settlements, including a recent $23 million settlement over third-party access to user search data. Similarly, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, settled a comparable lawsuit in 2022 for $725 million, reflecting ongoing concerns and legal challenges in the tech industry regarding user data privacy.
