Google Settles $5 Billion Lawsuit for Tracking Private Activity

The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of California, accused the tech giant of continuing to “track, collect, and identify browsing data in real time,” contrary to users' beliefs in their private browsing sessions, a Reuters report said on Thursday.

Plaintiffs claimed that Google's analytics deployed on websites gathered an array of information from browsers in 'Incognito' mode, encompassing web page content, device details, and IP addresses.

The allegation suggested that this practice transformed Google into an unregulated repository of personal information, enabling the company to gain insights into users' social circles, interests, preferences, shopping behaviors, and potentially sensitive details.

Furthermore, Google was accused of linking users' private browsing activities in Chrome with their established user profiles, thus consolidating data without explicit consent.

US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, in August, rejected Google's attempt to dismiss the lawsuit, emphasizing the absence of disclosure to users regarding continued data collection during private browsing sessions.

Rogers' ruling contested Google's assertion that users had consented to data collection during private mode, emphasizing the lack of explicit disclosure by the company.

The lawsuit, brought by William Byatt of Florida and Californians Chasom Brown and Maria Nguyen, sought damages exceeding $5 billion, equivalent to approximately $5,000 per user, for violations of wiretap laws.

While the terms of settlement remain undisclosed, the recent notice indicates a preliminary agreement between Google and the plaintiffs, pending court approval by February 24, 2024, following a binding term sheet agreed upon in mediation, as reported by Reuters.