Google to remove billions of personal records in landmark settlement

Google has agreed to obliterate billions of personal records amid accusations of clandestinely tracking over 136 million U.S. users' private web browsing on Chrome. The terms of the agreement, filed on Monday in the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, await approval by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.

This resolution comes over three months after Google and attorneys managing the class-action case announced their consensus in a legal battle originating in June 2020. The lawsuit contends that Google's analytics, cookies, and apps enabled the surreptitious collection of data, even during users' private browsing sessions such as Incognito mode.

Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda expressed contentment with the settlement, branding the lawsuit meritless. The tech giant maintains that it is mandated solely to expunge obsolete technical data devoid of any personal association or utilization for personalization purposes.

Valued between $5 billion and $7.8 billion, the settlement levies no damages against Google for affected users, who retain the option to pursue individual lawsuits. Additionally, Google pledges to enhance disclosures, notifying users of data collection activities, and granting Incognito mode users the ability to block third-party cookies for a span of five years.

The plaintiffs' legal team, spearheaded by David Boies, hailed the settlement as a pivotal stride towards instilling transparency and accountability among dominant technology corporations.