Search giant Google is facing a $5 billion class-action suit for allegedly tracking users’ data in browsers set in private mode. The lawsuit covers millions of users who browsed in incognito since 1 June 2016. The complaint, filed in a federal court in California, alleges that Google collects user history using its various services. Some of the data it is accused of collecting include IP address, hardware details, and what the user is viewing.
“… Google causes computers to report the real-time internet communications of millions of people to Google,” Forbes quoted the complaint.
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Consequently, the search engine gathers private data such as hobbies and shopping habits.
The lawsuit accuses Google of violating American Federal Wiretap Laws, stating that the tech giant “engaged[d] in covert and unauthorized data collection from virtually every American with a computer or a phone.”
In response, Google says that it warned users that websites can still collect data from incognito tabs.
“As we clearly state each time you open a new incognito tab, websites might be able to collect information about your browsing activity,” said Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda.
Last month, Google faced similar charges on violating user privacy by collecting location data when the location feature is off.
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