Google agrees to delete or de-identify billions of web browsing records collected in incognito mode

The Verge reports that a deal that could affect 136 million Google users is the result of a lawsuit filed by Google account owners in 2020 over the illegal tracking of their behavior through the incognito browsing feature. Providing accountability and transparency from the data collector, this agreement is seen as an important step in protecting privacy online.

The agreement also includes Google disclosing more information about data collection in incognito mode and limiting this collection in the future. Additionally, the company has agreed to a five-year allowance for users to block third-party cookie files by default in incognito mode to prevent tracking on third-party websites.