Google has reached a preliminary settlement in a class-action lawsuit filed in 2020 over its Chrome browser’s Incognito mode. The lawsuit, originating in the Northern District of California, accused Google of secretly “tracking, collecting, and identifying users’ browsing data in real-time” even when using Incognito mode.

Led by Florida resident William Byatt and Californians Chasom Brown and Maria Nguyen, the legal action alleged Google’s violation of wiretap laws. It claimed that websites using Google Analytics or Ad Manager gathered information from browsers in Incognito mode, including web page content, device data, and IP addresses. The lawsuit also accused Google of linking users’ private browsing activity with their existing profiles.

Google’s initial attempt to dismiss the lawsuit, based on the warning displayed when activating Incognito mode, was rejected by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in August. The judge highlighted that Google had not explicitly informed users about continued data collection during private browsing.

Following negotiations, Google and the plaintiffs have agreed to terms that will lead to the dismissal of the litigation. The finalized agreement is expected to be presented to the court by the end of January, with court approval anticipated by the end of February.

This development halts a scheduled February 5, 2024 trial. The lawsuit, seeking at least $5 billion in damages, claimed that Google’s analytics, cookies, and apps allowed tracking even when users believed they were browsing privately. The settlement terms remain undisclosed, pending court approval by February 24, 2024.

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The Incognito tab is one of the most useful features for the large audience out there. It prevents others from tracking our search and web history. There is now very exciting news for incognito mode lovers and Chrome has reportedly added the support of Fingerprint unlock in the incognito tab. The new addition will reportedly provide more privacy to the user and as soon as he locks the smartphone or switches to another app while browsing through the incognito tab, the fingerprint will be required to open the tab again.

Google revealed today that it is rolling out the option to require your fingerprint to access Incognito tabs in Chrome for Android, a feature that was first spotted in development last year. This functionality, which was first introduced to Chrome for iOS in early 2021, only needs you to “Unlock Incognito” using your fingerprint after restarting the Android browser. On the Incognito splash screen, you can also choose to “See other tabs,” and an overflow menu will let you close any open settings or private browsing tabs.

This feature is optional and can be turned on by going to Chrome Settings > Privacy and security. When you exit Chrome, lock any open Incognito tabs: Lock the screen to view Incognito tabs that are open. You can use your PIN in addition to verification when enabling or disabling. The splash screen occurs as soon as you close Chrome. When giving someone your phone, it can be useful (as long as they don’t know your passcode).

Within the context of Data Privacy Day, Google declared today that the feature is “now rolling out to Android users.” A large percentage of people will be able to access the update in the following days. This finishes our post on the fingerprint unlock feature that Chrome users can now use. How do you feel about this? Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment below. I appreciate you taking the time to read the entire post.

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