Google deletes billions of data files after lawsuit against it

 

Google is set to delete billions of data files as part of a settlement following a lawsuit accusing the tech giant of illegally tracking the web browsing habits of users it thought were browsing privately.

The lawsuit was originally filed in 2020 and accuses Google of misrepresenting the type of data it collects from users who browse the web through Chrome's Incognito private browsing feature. Google agreed to settle late last year, but the terms of the settlement were revealed for the first time in a filing on Monday.



As part of the settlement, Google must delete "billions of data files" that capture the private browsing activities of class-action users, according to court documents filed Monday in San Francisco federal court.

Google will also update its wording to inform users about the data it collects whenever a user initiates a private browsing session. The company has already started implementing these changes.

For the next five years, Google will also allow private browsing users to block third-party cookies as part of the settlement. Google will no longer track people's choices to browse the web privately.

The terms of the settlement, revealed in court filings Monday, said users will not receive damages as part of that settlement, but can still bring an individual lawsuit for damages.