Google could soon be involved in deleting the private data of millions of users if a proposed class-action settlement is approved, according to The lip.

The proposed settlement is part of the Brown v. Google lawsuit, in which the tech giant agreed to “destroy or de-identify” browsing data it has stored from people who use the “Incognito Browsing” feature in the Google Chrome browser. Google will be responsible for deleting billions of records and ensuring that undeletable records are not associated with individual users.

While the motion was filed in a California federal court on Monday, the lawsuit has been ongoing since 2020. Google is accused of not informing users of the extent to which they could still access their data in incognito mode. Users believed that Google gave a vague explanation of the purpose of its private browsing mechanism to track people illegally.

The company disagreed, noting that Google, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and employers have always been able to view and collect data from your Chrome browser history, even in incognito mode.

In January, reporters found a Canary build with an updated incognito mode that more clearly describes the conditions for what’s hidden when you enter browsing mode.

Even so, 136 million Google users stand to benefit from this case if the settlement proposal is approved. Google will have to destroy or de-identify the data it has collected from users browsing incognito from December 2023 and earlier.

Other terms of the agreement include Google agreeing to block third-party cookies by default in incognito mode. This will prevent the company from being able to track users on third party websites when they are supposed to be untraceable.

Despite the proposal’s $5 billion valuation, users will not receive financial damages in this case in exchange for Google’s changes to its data and policy. However, you may file claims for damages in California state court on your own under the terms of the settlement. So far 50 known claims have been filed.

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