Since 2021, Google risks a hefty fine of $5 billion. The American authorities accuse it of collecting the data of users in private browsing on its web browser, Chrome. To avoid these lawsuits, the Mountain View firm is preparing to delete billions of sensitive information.
The data was collected in private browsing
Google Chrome
Google Chrome, the most popular cross-platform browser on the web. Open as many tabs as you want, sign in to your Google account to sync your history, bookmarks and passwords.
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Version :
123.0.6312.86 -
Downloads:
1634 -
Release date :
02/04/2024 -
Author :
Google -
Licence :
Free license -
Categories:
Internet
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Operating system :
Android, Linux, Windows 10/11, Windows Portable – 10/11, iOS iPhone / iPad, macOS
Following an agreement reached this Monday, April 1, Google will delete the data of millions of users who used private browsing, to avoid a heavy financial penalty. The class action was filed in 2020. According to the plaintiffs, this functionality was purely artificial since the Mountain View firm was happily siphoning information from Internet users.
The plaintiffs were therefore misled and, following numerous efforts, obtained “key admissions from Google employees, including documents describing the navigation as ‘a lie in practice,’ a ‘problem of professional ethics and basic honesty,’ and a ‘confusing mess ‘”according to the agreement this Monday as reported by our colleagues from BFMTV in their columns.
We still have to wait for the approval of Judge Yvonne Gonzales Rogers, next July, for Google to avoid the lawsuit by deleting these “billions of data records” collected without the knowledge of users of Chrome’s private browsing mode.
The agreement considers that this is a “historic step” since it requires dominant companies to be transparent with Internet users about the way in which private information is collected and used.
Chrome will be more transparent about data collection
When you launch Chrome in private browsing, the information displayed will clearly indicate that private data will be collected. Third-party cookies will also be blocked. Google spoke through its spokesperson, Jorge Castaneda, who declared: “We are pleased to put an end to proceedings that we have always believed to be baseless”.
The Mountain View firm defends itself by explaining that the data collected was not associated with Internet users and that it was not used to target them.