Google’s Incognito Mode is in trouble

By Fionna Agomuoh April 2, 2024

Google Chrome incognito mode screenshot — screenshot / DigitalTrends.com

Google could soon be on the hook for deleting the private data of millions of users if the proposed settlement of a class action lawsuit is approved, according to The Verge.

The settlement proposal is part of the Brown v. Google lawsuit, for which the tech giant has agreed to “destroy or de-identify” the web browsing data it has saved from people utilizing the “Incognito Mode” feature on the Google Chrome browser. Google would be responsible for deleting billions of records and making sure undeletable records are not associated with individual users.

Recommended Videos

While the proposal was filed in a California federal court on Monday, the lawsuit has been ongoing since 2020. Google is accused of not making users aware of the extent to which their data could still be accessed in Incognito Mode. Users believed Google gave an unclear explanation of the purpose of its private browsing mechanism to illegally track individuals.

The company disagreed, noting that Google, internet service providers (ISPs), and employers have always been able to potentially view and collect data from your Chrome browser history, even in Incognito Mode.

In January, journalists found a Canary build of an updated Incognito mode that more clearly spells out the stipulations of what is hidden when you enter the browsing state.

Even so, 136 million Google users stand to benefit from this case if the settlement proposal is approved. Google will have to destroy or de-identify the data it has collected from users browsing under Incognito mode from December 2023 and earlier.

Other stipulations to the agreement include Google agreeing to block third-party cookies by default in Incognito mode. This will prevent the company from being able to track users on third-party websites when they’re supposed to be untraceable.

Despite the $5 billion valuation of the proposal, users will not receive financial damages in this case in exchange for the changes Google is making to its data and policy. However, you can file claims for damages in California state court on your own as per the settlement terms. So far, 50 known claims have been filed.

Topics

Computing Writer

Fionna Agomuoh is a Computing Writer at Digital Trends. She covers a range of topics in the computing space, including…

Computing

This new Google Docs feature is exactly what I’ve always wanted

Text box in Google Docs on a laptop.

As a writer of a certain age, I've lived a lot of life in Google Docs. It's where my first drafts go, but it's also where my crazy ideas, unhinged brainstorming, and research dumps go.
There’s so many conveniences about Google Docs that make it my go-to for word processing, but let’s be honest: It’s still fairly barebones, especially when it comes to organizing and managing different files within Google Drive. But this new feature makes all of that much easier, keeping it all contained all within Docs itself.
It’s called Document Tabs, which you may have already noticed floating just to the left of your document.

The idea is simple: It lets you create multiple documents within a single Docs file. Create as many “tabs” or separate documents as a single project might need, and switch between them extremely fast. That accessibility to them is really where the gold is. No more switching between different browser tabs.
It’s even more handy on mobile, of course, where switching applications or tabs is even more cumbersome. Here, you’ll find Document Tabs hovering just at the bottom of the screen with some simple arrows to flip between your different tabs. All we need now is a simple gesture to be added to flip between them even more seamlessly.
Document Tabs takes the place of the old outlining system, which would grab headers and automatically create a table of contents around them. I used this frequently, but it was pretty finicky. More than that, it resulted in overly long documents that I still found myself scrolling through.
Document Tabs is a really elegant solution to that problem. Whether it’s segmenting chapters in a book, multiple aspects of a project, or even just different parts of an article, it’s already become an extremely useful outlining and productivity tool for me.
It even had a pretty clean way of converting the tabs when you need to export. All the tabs do is combine down into one document, but they’re sectioned off with titles and some basic formatting. That’s not going to be ideal in every situation, of course, so it’s something to keep in mind if you need to export and share it with someone outside of Docs.
At the very least, though, it’s worth trying out. And if you’re a Google Docs fiend like I am, I have a feeling you’ll get quite a lot out of it.

Mobile

Google Flights is making it easier to find the best-priced airfare

Plane landing.

Up till now, airfare search results on Google Flights have prioritized a combination of price and convenience over cost alone. This means you might be missing the cheapest options and spending more than you need to.

Via an update to its online tool that's rolling out gradually over the next couple of weeks, Google is finally making it easier to surface the best-priced airfares for your journey, though you may be sacrificing a bit of convenience if you opt for one of them.

Computing

What is Gemini Advanced? Here’s how to use Google’s premium AI

Google Gemini on smartphone.

Google's Gemini is already revolutionizing the way we interact with AI, but there is so much more it can do with a $20/month subscription. In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through everything you need to know about Gemini Advanced, from what sets it apart from other AI subscriptions to the simple steps for signing up and getting started.

You'll learn how to craft effective prompts that yield impressive results and stunning images with Gemini's built-in generative capabilities. Whether you're a seasoned AI enthusiast or a curious beginner, this post will equip you with the knowledge and techniques to harness the power of Gemini Advanced and take your AI-generated content to the next level.
What is Google Gemini Advanced?