The security of our personal data is more fragile than ever. With the rise of smartphones, every app we use seems to gather information about us. Moreover, it’s not just shady developers and scammers tech giants worth billions, and even governments, are implicated in this surveillance. Fortunately, there are those who fight back. Thanks to their efforts, Google has agreed to purge billions of records containing personal information collected from more than 136 million Chrome web browser users, settling a lawsuit that accused the company of illegal surveillance. Here are the details…

Your Data is Not Safe: Google to Purge Records After Privacy Lawsuit

Google has opted for a series of settlements in recent months to avoid major antitrust lawsuits. This trend continued last Sunday with their fourth agreement in four months. This latest settlement involves a lawsuit filed by Chasom Brown and others, alleging that Google misled users about incognito mode in Chrome.

Under the agreement, Google will delete billions of records of Chrome browsing data, including data from incognito mode. This move addresses the lawsuit’s claim that Google continued to track user activity even in private browsing. Previously, Google has spent over $1 billion on settlements related to its search engine and advertising practices.

These settlements include cases involving app developer fees, sharing data from Google+, and patent infringement. Going forward, Google will be more transparent about data collection in incognito mode. They will warn users and limit data collection practices while browsing privately. While the plaintiffs’ $5 billion compensation claim was rejected, individuals still retain the right to sue Google for damages.

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