Google Incognito Mode Lawsuit | Data Privacy Class Action
Our data privacy lawyers are reviewing Google Incognito cases on behalf of plaintiffs. The Lyon Firm is representing plaintiffs nationwide in a variety of personal privacy litigation. Plaintiffs say Google violated their privacy rights, and deceptively tracked users in what were thought to be private browsing sessions.
What is the Google Incognito Mode Lawsuit?
According to a class action lawsuit filed in 2020, Google allegedly violated the privacy of millions of American consumers by tracking their “private” browsing sessions in Incognito Mode.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, stated that the legal action is due to “Google’s unlawful and intentional interception and collection” of private and confidential communications without the prior consent of users.
Lawyers contend in the complaint that individuals use Incognito Mode expressly to prevent the tracking or collection of their personal information, only to find out the company has not been holding up their end of the bargain.
The lawyers currently involved in the class action have collected internal Google emails they say show how some company executives have known for years that their “Incognito mode” is hardly incognito. The emails allegedly show how Google employees openly discussed the actual and perceived privacy of the Incognito mode option, noting how consumers regularly overestimated the privacy protections.
Plaintiffs have labeled the false sense of privacy as deceptive behavior on the company’s part. Google has refuted these claims, stating, “As we clearly state each time you open a new incognito tab, websites might be able to collect information about your browsing activity during your session.”
Plaintiffs and their consumer protection attorneys are not deterred by the corporate response. Many Google Chrome users feel quite violated by the data tracking revelations. It may not only be an ethical violation, but also a legal one. Class action privacy lawyers say that by collecting browsing data, Google is in violation of federal and state laws on wiretapping. Such violations give individuals the right to take legal action if private communications are intercepted. The Google Incognito lawsuit is seeking at least $5 billion in damages.
What is Incognito Mode?
According to Google, the Incognito Mode on the Chrome web browser offers users “private browsing” by removing web-tracking cookies and internet history from the browsing session once the browser is closed.
The aforementioned class action complaint says there is evidence that Google stores such “private” browsing data in the same logs as all the others, essentially negating almost any of the intended privacy the company offers in the first place. Attorneys allegedly have evidence that Google collects both regular and Incognito browsing data in the same logs to send users targeted ads.
Google now admits that each time users open a tab in Incognito Mode, websites may still be able to collect information about your browsing activity. Plaintiffs claim that Google’s cookies, analytics, and tracking tools on non-Google websites track user browsing activity even after users opened an Incognito mode tab in Chrome.
Can I Join the Google Incognito Class Action?
If you believe your personal information or data was deceptively collected, tracked or shared when you were sure you were protected in a private browsing session, contact a data privacy lawyer to discuss your case.
The current class action seeks at least $5,000 of damages per user for violations of federal wiretapping and California privacy laws. You may be entitled to compensation, and a data privacy lawyer can fight for a fair settlement on your behalf.
If you have used Google Incognito Mode on the Chrome web browser, and were unaware that Google still tracked your information, you may qualify to file a claim. The Lyon Firm is involved in numerous data privacy lawsuits, representing individuals in all fifty states.