Current:Home > reviewsGoogle warns users Chrome's incognito mode still tracks data, reports say. What to know. -MomentumProfit Zone
Google warns users Chrome's incognito mode still tracks data, reports say. What to know.
View
Date:2025-04-19 05:30:26
Google Chrome has reportedly updated the message that users see when they're in "incognito mode" following the settlement of a $5 billion privacy lawsuit.
Google added a disclaimer that the privacy function still collects user data that websites and services can access, according to the Verge, which said MSPowerUser first spotted the change.
The new message is only visible on the latest version of Google Chrome, the Verge reported. The previous message is still visible for some Chrome users.
Parts of the disclaimer remain untouched like the bullet points that clarifies that websites, employers, schools and internet service providers can view activity. The page also states that browsing history, cookies, site data and information entered in forms are not saved in incognito mode.
Reports:Blood-oxygen sensors to be removed from Apple Watches as company looks to avoid ban
Original and updated incognito mode messages comparison
The previous message reads: "Now you can browse privately, and other people who use this device won’t see your activity. However, downloads, bookmarks and reading list items will be saved. Learn more."
According to the Verge, the new message reads: "Others who use this device won’t see your activity, so you can browse more privately. This won’t change how data is collected by websites you visit and the services they use, including Google. Downloads, bookmarks and reading list items will be saved. Learn more.”
The previous message also gave users the option to block third-party cookies that primarily prevents sites from tracking internet activity.
Lawsuit alleged Google spied on users
The update comes after the company agreed on Dec. 28 to settle a $5 billion class-action lawsuit alleging the platform used private browsers to track internet use, according to the Associated Press.
The privacy lawsuit filed in 2020 alleged that Google misled users into thinking their internet activities would be off limits to the company. Plaintiffs also claimed that the company used advertising technologies to catalog their site visits and used an "unaccountable trove of information" under the false perception of privacy.
The settlement still requires approval by a federal judge and AP reported that the final settlement agreement will be presented in court by Feb. 24.
"We’re pleased to resolve this case, which we’ve long disputed, and will provide even more information to users about Incognito Mode," Google spokesperson José Castañeda said in a statement. "Incognito mode in Chrome will continue to give people the choice to browse the internet without their activity being saved to their browser or device."
Google did not respond to USA TODAY's questions about the updated incognito mode disclaimer.
veryGood! (38314)
Related
- B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
- Kansas stops enforcing a law against impersonating election officials
- Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman recovering from COVID-19 at home
- Olympics gymnastics live updates: Shinnosuke Oka wins gold, US men finish outside top 10
- Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
- US stands by decision that 50 million air bag inflators are dangerous, steps closer to huge recall
- Kamala Harris, Megyn Kelly and why the sexist attacks are so dangerous
- Katie Ledecky adds another swimming gold; Léon Marchand wins in start to audacious double
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- The rise of crypto ETFs: How to invest in digital currency without buying coins
Ranking
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- Great Britain swimmer 'absolutely gutted' after 200-meter backstroke disqualification
- Massachusetts lawmakers push for drug injection sites as session wraps up
- Massachusetts businesses with at least 24 employees must disclose salary range for new jobs
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- American doubles specialists Ram, Krajicek shock Spanish superstars Nadal, Alcaraz
- 9-month-old boy dies in backseat of hot car after parent forgets daycare drop-off
- Georgia prosecutors committed ‘gross negligence’ with emails in ‘Cop City’ case, judge says
Recommendation
Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
Harris to eulogize longtime US Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas at funeral service
2024 Olympics: British Swimmer Luke Greenbank Disqualified for Breaking Surprising Rule
What Kamala Harris has said (and done) about student loans during her career
FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
Weak infrastructure, distrust make communication during natural disasters hard on rural Texas
Torri Huske becoming one of Team USA's biggest swimming stars in Paris Olympics
Georgia prosecutors committed ‘gross negligence’ with emails in ‘Cop City’ case, judge says