Google Acknowledges Chrome’s Incognito Mode Tracks You

• Google is updating Chrome’s Incognito mode notification to address privacy concerns.
• The users were misled about privacy in Incognito, the lawsuit claimed.
• Google and websites still collect data in Incognito.

Google is modifying its Chrome browser to address privacy concerns related to users of its Incognito mode. In response to an upcoming class-action lawsuit, the tech company plans to update the notification linked with Incognito mode, ensuring users receive clear information about online privacy intricacies.

This significant adjustment is in response to Google‘s efforts to resolve a class-action lawsuit accusing Chrome’s Incognito mode of privacy breaches. The lawsuit claims that users were not adequately informed about the degree to which Google and other third-party websites could collect their data even while using this seemingly private mode.

The updated warning, currently implemented in Chrome Canary, a nightly developer build, aims to directly tackle a primary concern raised in the lawsuit. It explicitly states that even in Incognito mode, both Google and external websites can still collect user data, emphasizing transparency and enabling users to make informed choices.

Here’s the content of the new warning in Google Chrome’s Incognito Mode:

“You’ve gone, Incognito. Others who use this device won’t see your activity, so you can browse more privately. This won’t change how data is collected by websites you visit and the services they use, including Google.”

The latest revision to the warning linked to Chrome’s Incognito mode intends to remove any possible ambiguities in its language.

An aspect open to interpretation is the mention of “Google and websites run by other companies.” This wording might be interpreted to include not just Google’s sites but also extend to third-party websites, including those dependent on Google’s ad services.

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However, it’s important to mention that this updated warning has not been incorporated into the developer, beta, and stable versions of Chrome. Additionally, it is noticeably missing from Chromium, the open-source project forming the basis for the Chrome browser.’

MSPowerUser initially uncovered this modification, highlighting Google’s continuous endeavors to improve transparency and tackle issues concerning user data privacy.