Google Changes Chrome’s Incognito Screen To Warn ‘Private’ Isn’t So Private

Photo 297340073 © Mohamed Ahmed Soliman | Dreamstime.com

Google Chrome is tweaking the fine print for its Incognito mode, a move that comes amid legal scrutiny over user privacy. The tech giant has updated the disclaimer for this feature on the popular web browser, clarifying what it does and doesn’t do in terms of privacy.

This update follows a class-action lawsuit filed in 2020 that concluded this year, where Google faced allegations of misleading users about the privacy of Chrome’s Incognito mode. The complaint claimed that Google didn’t clearly communicate that its own websites could still track users, even when they were browsing in Incognito mode. Essentially, the plaintiffs accused the company of continuing to monitor their internet activities, despite their use of what they believed was a private browsing option.

The suit centered on the assertion that Google’s Incognito mode wasn’t as private as users were led to believe. The plaintiffs argued that despite activating this mode, Google’s advertising technologies and other tracking methods continued to gather details about their site visits and online activities.

In response to the row, whose terms of settlement remain undisclosed, Google has agreed to make changes to the disclaimer for its Incognito mode, with the updated wording expected to provide a more transparent understanding of the setting’s privacy limitations.

The original notice assured users that their browsing was private and that others using the same device wouldn’t see their activity. However, it didn’t explicitly state that this didn't prevent Google and other websites from collecting data.

For most users, the message will still state, “Now you can browse privately, and other people who use this device won’t see your activity. However, downloads, bookmarks, and reading list items will be saved.”

The revised text in the latest Chrome Canary release for developers, on the other hand, reads: “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. Downloads, bookmarks, and reading list items will be saved.”

Google updates Chrome's Incognito Mode disclaimer to admit it is tracking users #google #chrome #incognito #privacyhttps://t.co/d5CwTmU9Bq pic.twitter.com/GE2sQaNvUX

— ghacksnews (@ghacks) January 16, 2024

The addition of “including Google” directly addresses the lawsuit’s main concern, making it more apparent that data collection can still occur in Incognito mode.

Expected to roll out soon to the stable version of Chrome, this change is part of Google’s effort to offer users a clearer picture of what Incognito mode honors, particularly regarding privacy and data collection.

[via 9to5Google, Neowin, Ghacks, images via various sources]