Current:Home > MarketsGoogle warns users Chrome's incognito mode still tracks data, reports say. What to know. -Horizon Finance School
Google warns users Chrome's incognito mode still tracks data, reports say. What to know.
View
Date:2025-04-14 02:36:29
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! (57133)
Related
- 'Malcolm in the Middle’ to return with new episodes featuring Frankie Muniz
- Why K-pop's future is in crisis, according to its chief guardian
- Kathy Griffin Fiercely Defends Madonna From Ageism and Misogyny Amid Hospitalization
- Inside Clean Energy: In California, the World’s Largest Battery Storage System Gets Even Larger
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- Scholastic wanted to license her children's book — if she cut a part about 'racism'
- Facebook users can apply for their portion of a $725 million lawsuit settlement
- Florida Commits $1 Billion to Climate Resilience. But After Hurricane Ian, Some Question the State’s Development Practices
- Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
- Kim Cattrall Reveals One Demand She Had for Her And Just Like That Surprise Appearance
Ranking
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- Miranda Sings YouTuber Colleen Ballinger Breaks Silence on Grooming Allegations With Ukulele Song
- About 1 in 10 young adults are vaping regularly, CDC report finds
- Rural grocery stores are dying. Here's how some small towns are trying to save them
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- In historic move, Biden nominates Adm. Lisa Franchetti as first woman to lead Navy
- Two Md. Lawmakers Demand Answers from Environmental Regulators. The Hogan Administration Says They’ll Have to Wait
- Titan Sub Tragedy: Presumed Human Remains and Mangled Debris Recovered From Atlantic Ocean
Recommendation
Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
New Research Shows Aerosol Emissions May Have Masked Global Warming’s Supercharging of Tropical Storms
Proof Pregnant Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker Already Chose Their Baby Boy’s Name
Across the Boreal Forest, Scientists Are Tracking Warming’s Toll
Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
Illinois Now Boasts the ‘Most Equitable’ Climate Law in America. So What Will That Mean?
The Fed's radical new bank band-aid
The Current Rate of Ocean Warming Could Bring the Greatest Extinction of Sealife in 250 Million Years