Google is being criticized for information it allegedly collects from users in incognito mode.
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Google has not been able to get a lawsuit dismissed on the grounds that it collects user data about Internet activity, even when they are browsing in a private browser. The process, filed in June, claims that Google violates wiretapping and privacy laws by continuing to “intercept, track and collect communications”, even when people use Chrome’s incognito mode and other private browser modes.
On Friday, a federal judge denied the technology giant’s request to end the lawsuit, which seeks class action status.
“The court finds that Google has not notified users that Google is involved in the alleged data collection while the user is in private browsing mode,” wrote District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, in her decision.
The decision comes amid continued scrutiny by tech giants like Google and Facebook, the amount of data companies have collected from consumers. Google said last year that it would eliminate third-party cookies that track a person’s individual navigation on websites and target ads to them based on their activities.
The lawsuit, which seeks at least $ 5 billion from Google and its parent company, Alphabet, claims that the company secretly collects data through Google Analytics, Google Ad Manager, website plug-ins and other applications, including mobile apps .
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but rather said it disputes the claims, adding that each time users open a new anonymous tab, they are told that sites can collect information about their browsing activity during the session. .