- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
Not sure which news website I should be using for the link, sorry! I’m happy to change it if anyone has a better one.
Google agreed to destroy or de-identify billions of records of web browsing data collected when users were in its private browsing “Incognito mode,” according to a proposed class action settlement filed Monday.
The proposal is valued at $5 billion, according to Monday’s court filing, calculated 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.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
If approved by a California federal judge, the settlement could apply to 136 million Google users.
The 2020 lawsuit was brought by Google account holders who accused the company of illegally tracking their behavior through the private browsing feature.
Google would need to address data collected in private browsing mode in December 2023 and earlier.
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.
Part of the agreement includes changes to how Google discloses the limits of its private browsing services, which the company has already begun rolling out on Chrome.
Individuals can still file claims for damages in California state court, according to the settlement terms.
The original article contains 382 words, the summary contains 161 words. Saved 58%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!