Google consents to resolve a $5 billion lawsuit alleging that it tracked users using Incognito mode

Google Chrome has recently acquired the latest security and performance features. The most recent version of the web browser (M12) adds the option to preserve tab groups, along with improvements to Safety Check and Memory Saver. Google Chrome has long provided the option to run the browser in Incognito mode, which provides an apparently fresh slate for your online browsing, free of cookies, forms, and site history. But it didn’t appear to mean Google wasn’t watching what you were doing.

In 2020, the corporation was accused of monitoring Chrome users’ activity even when they were in Incognito mode. After failing to have the claim dismissed, Google has finally decided to settle the case, which initially sought $5 billion in damages.

The plaintiffs claimed that Google monitored users using methods such as its Analytics product, applications, and browser plug-ins. By following someone on Incognito, the corporation gave the misleading impression that it could manage the information that users were prepared to provide with it.

Plaintiffs in the complaint disclosed internal emails reportedly revealing talks between Google executives demonstrating that the business monitored Incognito browser activity to sell adverts and track online traffic. That sounds like something Google would do. According to Reuters and The Washington Post, neither party has made the settlement information public.