Google updates Chrome incognito tab message after lawsuit

Google has updated its messaging on Chrome's “incognito mode” after settling a privacy class action last month that alleged the company collected data from users using the feature.

The updated message explains that websites and services, including Google, can collect user data, even while browsing in incognito mode. This comes weeks after the company settled a $5 billion privacy lawsuit that accused Google of misleading users into believing that Google would not track their data while using the browser setting.

“Others using this device won't be able to see your activity, so you can browse more privately. This won't change how data is collected by the websites you visit and services you use, including Google. Your downloads, bookmarks, and reading list items will be saved,” it said. The updated letter said, according to The Verge.

The previous message did not mention how data could be collected on websites and services, including Google.

“Now you can browse privately, and other people using this device won't be able to see your activity. However, your downloads, bookmarks, and reading list items will be saved.

the edge I noticed that MSPowerUser He was the first to discover the updated change, which can only be seen in the latest version of Google Chrome. The bullets at the bottom of the message, which contain information such as where the activity may remain visible, remain unchanged. The bullet points indicated that the activity may remain visible to websites visited by the user, the user's employer, school, or the user's Internet service provider.

“We are pleased to resolve this situation, which we have long opposed, and will provide more information to users about Incognito Mode. Chrome's Incognito Mode will continue to give people the option to browse the Internet without saving their activity,” Google spokesman Jose Castañeda said in a statement to The Hill. In their browser or device.

– Updated at 8:25 PM ET on January 16