Google Set to Purge Private Browsing Data in $5 Billion Settlement

Google has agreed to destroy and de-identify billions of records of web browsing data from users who use its private browsing mode, known as “Incognito.”

This move is part of a settlement filed in federal court Monday in a case over the company’s secret tracking of web activity..

After receiving approval from a federal judge in California, this settlement could potentially apply to more than 130 million Google users.

Google account holders in 2020 filed a lawsuit, accusing the company of illegally tracking their behaviour through the private browsing feature.

According to Monday’s court filing, the proposal is valued at $5 billion, reached by determining the value of data Google has stored and would be forced to destroy and the data it would be prevented from collecting.

Google would need to address data collected in private browsing mode in December 2023 and earlier. Any data that is not outright deleted must be de-identified.

Google spokesperson José Castañeda said in a statement that the company is “pleased to settle this lawsuit, which we always believed was meritless.”

Though the plaintiffs valued the proposed settlement at $5 billion, which was the amount they originally sought in damages, Castañeda said that they are “receiving zero.” The settlement does not include damages for the class, though individuals can file claims.