June 24, 2020
1648
0Google Chrome Track “Private” Internet Use
Google Chrome was indicted for collecting user data in incognito mode. The lawsuit was sent to Federal Court in California.
The core of the problem
Today, Google Chrome allows users to surf the Internet in common mode and incognito as well. The first one collects information about search queries, users’ interests, and other data. While incognito mode undertakes not to save the request history or any other confidential data. Besides, all collected cookies will be automatically deleted when the user exits the incognito mode.
For the first time after launch, a small number of users switched to this mode, although it worked properly according to reviews.
However, in 2018 appeared the first evidence that Chrome still monitors users in incognito mode. The Sun Magazine provided indisputable evidence that the browser can still track and save user actions even in incognito mode.
Unfortunately, then all the charges were considered false, and possible proceedings were stopped.
A bit of spoiler: Perhaps, if law enforcement agencies were interested in this case, today’s events could have been avoided.
How are things now?
In June, a class lawsuit was filed against Google for privacy violations. The lawsuit states that the company is accused of regularly violating federal laws on wiretapping and tracking all users’ actions even in incognito mode, thus violating their own rules.
The lawsuit claims that almost everyone who used incognito mode since June 1, 2016, suffered from the company’s misconduct.
It claims that Google tracks and collects users’ browsing history, regardless of what data protection measures they take. Google deliberately misleads users into thinking that they control inside and outside data that a common user shares with Google.
Now, the lawsuit demands at least $ 5 billion of damages from the tech giant. In response to the lawsuit, the company strongly denies all charges.
