Google Agrees to Settle Lawsuit Over Alleged Secret Internet Tracking

Google Agrees to Settle Lawsuit Over Alleged Secret Internet Tracking

VoM News Desk | December 29, 2023 | 12:20 PM IST | Technology | Follow on Google News

Google Agrees to Settle Lawsuit Over Alleged Secret Internet Tracking/Ndtv

Google Agrees to Settle Lawsuit Over Alleged Secret Internet Tracking

Alphabet’s Google has reached a preliminary settlement in a lawsuit that accused the tech giant of clandestinely tracking the online activities of numerous individuals who believed they were browsing privately. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California, halted the scheduled Feb. 5, 2024 trial for the proposed class action after both Google’s lawyers and the consumers’ representatives confirmed a preliminary settlement had been achieved.

The lawsuit, which initially sought a minimum of $5 billion, claimed that Google’s analytics, cookies, and apps enabled the company to track user activity, even when individuals utilized Google’s Chrome browser in “Incognito” mode or other browsers in “private” browsing mode.

The plaintiffs alleged that this practice turned Google into an “unaccountable trove of information,” allowing the company access to details about users’ personal interests, preferences, shopping habits, and potentially sensitive online searches.

While the terms of the settlement were not disclosed, both parties agreed on a binding term sheet through mediation. They anticipate presenting a formal settlement for court approval by February 24, 2024.

Earlier rulings by Judge Rogers in August denied Google’s attempt to dismiss the lawsuit. She underscored the uncertainty regarding whether Google had made a legally binding commitment not to collect user data during private browsing sessions.

The judge referenced Google’s privacy policy and statements by the company suggesting limitations on the collection of user information.

The lawsuit, filed in 2020, encompassed “millions” of Google users from June 1, 2016, and sought a minimum of $5,000 in damages per user for alleged violations of federal wiretapping and California privacy laws.

The case is titled Brown et al v Google LLC et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 20-03664.

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