Trusted Reviews is supported by its audience. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.Learn more.
Google will delete user data collected in Chrome’s Incognito Mode
In This Article
Google has agreed to destroy data collected from users browsing the web in Chrome’sIncognito Mode.
As part of a proposedsettlementto a lawsuit filed by Google account holders in California, Google said it’d be willing ditch the data it the plaintiff’s argue it shouldn’t have been collecting in the first place.
Grab the Sonos Era 100 for £199, slashed by £50/20%
Snag an amazing deal on the highly-rated Sonos Era 100 on Amazon. The £50 reduction brings the price down to £199.
Incognito Mode is Chrome’s private browsing feature that enables people to peruse the web without having their behaviour tracked by Google and third parties.
The 2020 lawsuit alleges that when Incognito Mode was enabled, tools like Google Analytics, and Google Ad Manager (as well as other apps and plug-ins) were still collecting data. Google had countered by saying that Incognito Mode expressly tells users that websites may be able to collect browsing activity information.
However, it has now agreed to delete or de-identify the data collected during or before December last year.
“This Settlement ensures real accountability and transparency from the world’s largest data collector and marks an important step toward improving and upholding our right to privacy on the Internet,” the plaintiffs say.
Google spokesperson José Castañeda said (viaThe Verge) the company is “pleased to settle this lawsuit, which we always believed was meritless.”
“We never associate data with users when they use Incognito mode. We are happy to delete old technical data that was never associated with an individual and was never used for any form of personalisation.”
The value of the settlement could cost Google up to $5 billion, which would cover the perceived value of the data to the company. Third-party cookies will be blocked by default moving forward.
You might like…
Chris Smith is a freelance technology journalist for a host of UK tech publications, including Trusted Reviews. He’s based in South Florida, USA. …
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
