Google faces $5bn lawsuit for ‘tracking’ Incognito users

Google might have to pay billions of dollars to users for allegedly tracking them as they browse the web in Chrome’s Incognito Mode.

A US judge has ruled that a class-action lawsuit against the firm can proceed. It seeks at least $5,000 per user – $5 billion in total – from Google and its parent company Alphabet, claiming they collect data through Google Analytics, Google Ad Manager, website plug-ins and other tools, including mobile apps.

The complaint alleges that Google collects the “most intimate and potentially embarrassing things” from “virtually every American with a computer or phone”. Attorneys for the plaintiffs said Google gathers “an unaccountable trove of information so detailed and expansive that George Orwell could never have dreamed it”.

Incognito Mode claims to let you browse the web without Google collecting your search history, or placing cookies on your computer. It does state that web activity may still be visible to websites that you visit, your employer or school, and your internet service provider (see screenshot).

However, US District Judge Lucy Koh said Google doesn’t notify users that it collects data while the user is actually browsing in Incognito Mode.

Google said it would challenge the claims “vigorously”. It added: “As we clearly state each time you open a new Incognito tab, websites might be able to collect information about your browsing activity during your session”.

The case comes amid growing scrutiny over how closely Google and other tech giants track users online. In March privacy-focused browser Duckduckgo accused the company of “spying” on its users: www.snipca.com/37672.

For more information on the dangers of Google’s Incognito Mode, read Issue 590 (pages 62-63), available on our 2020 Back Issue CD: www.snipca.com/37026.