Just in case you didn’t and absolutely didn’t know, when browsing incognito mode on Google Chrome, you are always being followed. Browsing Incognito does not protect your privacy online, and Google wants to be very clear about this.
Three people sued Google in the United States for tracking users even in Incognito mode and Google wanted this case, a $ 5 billion lawsuit accusing Google of a “ubiquitous data tracking company,” to be destroyed. And Google’s reason for this is simple: the company thought people already knew the meaning of “incognito”.
For Google, “incognito” does not mean “invisible” and that should make good sense for Chrome users. However, a California judge refuses to quash the class action lawsuit according to a Bloomberg report. “Google has not informed users that Google is engaging in the alleged data collection while the user is in private browsing mode,” US District Judge Lucy Koh said.
Google has denied this and said in a statement to The Verge that they will vigorously defend themselves against it.
Google clarified in the court record that “incognito” does not mean “invisible” and that a user’s activity during a session in incognito mode means that the session will be visible to websites they visit as well as for any third-party analysis or advertising service. that the website uses.
The advantage of the incognito mode, as Google explained, is that the mode “gives users the choice to browse the Internet without the activity being recorded on their browser or their devices”. This does not extend to the sites that users visit, those sites will always follow them.
Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda told The Verge: “We make it clear every time you open a new incognito tab, websites may be able to collect information about your browsing activity during your session “.
Read the fine print. (Google)
If you read carefully, it is mentioned that Chrome will not save your browsing history, but your activity may be visible on the websites you visit, your employer or school, and your Internet service provider.
So, just in case you thought your online activity was safe while you were on Incognito, well, you were wrong.