Google Settles Lawsuit by Committing to Destroy Incognito Browsing Data

Google has agreed to settle a lawsuit by destroying billions of data records, valued at more than $5 billion, to address claims that it secretly tracked the internet use of people who thought they were browsing privately. The settlement, which requires court approval, does not provide damages to users but allows them to sue individually. Google will update disclosures about its data collection in "private" browsing and allow Incognito users to block third-party cookies for five years. The plaintiffs' lawyers view the settlement as a historic step in holding technology companies accountable.