Google has agreed to settle a massive $5 billion privacy lawsuit over their Chrome browser’s Incognito Mode.

More specifically, the lawsuit was originally filed back in 2020 and alleged Google was still tracking people using Incognito Mode, despite previous promises it totally protected their browsing activities. Now Google has quietly agreed to the $5 billion settlement (via the AP).

The original class action lawsuit alleged Google misled users into believing they weren’t tracked at all when browsing while using incognito mode. It argued Google’s advertising methods and other tech kept cataloging user’s data and browsing habits, despite the supposed “private” browsing.

The lawsuit also alleged Google’s activities has earned them an “unaccountable trove of information” on users who thought they were taking proper precautions on protecting their online privacy.

While the settlement was just reached later last week, it still has to be approved by a federal judge before anyone sees a payout from Google. Lawyers acting on behalf of users said they expect to present a final settlement agreement by February 24th, 2024.

Google hasn’t responded to the settlement at the time of writing.

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