Google has settled a US lawsuit that accused the tech giant of invading users’ privacy by tracking their activity even when browsing in “private mode.” The class-action lawsuit sought at least $5 billion from Google and its parent company, Alphabet, highlighting the growing scrutiny faced by major technology firms over their practices.
The development occurred in California, where US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers put a scheduled trial on hold after lawyers indicated a preliminary settlement had been reached. This decision followed Judge Rogers’ rejection of Google’s attempt to dismiss the case earlier in the year. She stated that she could not agree that users had consented to Google collecting information on their browsing activities.
Filed in 2020 by law firm Boies Schiller Flexner, the class action alleged that Google tracked users even when they activated “Incognito” mode on the Google Chrome browser or similar privacy modes in other browsers. The lawsuit contended that Google had become an “unaccountable trove of information” on user preferences, potentially including sensitive or embarrassing details.
While the terms of the settlement were not disclosed, lawyers are expected to present a formal agreement to the court for approval by February 2024. Google has maintained that it was transparent about the data it collected during private browsing and argued that such information helped site owners assess the performance of their content, products, and marketing.
Google also faced additional legal challenges related to its search and digital advertising practices. In a separate case, the company recently agreed to pay $700 million to settle a lawsuit by US states, accusing Google of stifling competition in its Play Store for Android devices.
This followed a legal defeat against Fortnite maker Epic Games in 2020, where the gaming company alleged that Google unlawfully dominated its app store over rivals.
