Alphabet Inc.’s Google has dismissed a privacy lawsuit from consumers who accused the company of spying on them even after they opted not to share their web activity.
US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers dismissed those claims on Monday Google tracked personal data from users, including IP addresses and browsing history, if they have chosen not to “sync” their Google accounts with them. chrome – even if they didn’t have an account.
“Google has adequately disclosed and the plaintiffs consented to the collection of the disputed data,” Rogers wrote in dismissing the lawsuit.
Rogers also ruled on another Chrome privacy case involving the “incognito mode” feature that allows people to browse the web privately. She let millions of Google users take part in the lawsuit, which was launched by a handful of consumers who claimed the search giant collects data even when “incognito mode” is turned on. However, users cannot ask for any financial compensation, only facilitations that would prevent the company from continuing to collect private browsing information and urge it to delete previously collected data.
A spokesman for Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Google faces a slew of privacy lawsuits from states like Arizona and consumers, as well as intense scrutiny from lawmakers over its data collection practices. The tech giant has announced that in 2024 it will eliminate third-party cookies that help advertisers keep track of consumers’ web activity and will not use alternative methods to track individuals.
To prevent the Incognito case from escalating, Google had argued in a court filing that many potential group members knew about and consented to the company’s data collection.
Court filings revealed a paper trail highlighting Google employees’ frustration with the incognito mode branding, including a 2021 email from the company’s head of marketing in which Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said the feature “isn’t really is private”.
Google has fended off two attempts by plaintiffs to force Pichai to submit to an affidavit.
The cases are Calhoun v. Google, 20-cv-05146, and Brown v. Google LLC, 20-3664, US District Court, Northern District of California (Oakland).
© 2022 Bloomberg LP
