Pro tip: if you switch to incognito mode to read this article, Google will still know you read this article.

Google claims the Chrome browser won't save your browsing history, your cookies, or your personal information when you're in incognito mode, but also, Google just settled on a $5 billion class-action lawsuit which accused them of still tracking data when users go incognito.

Yeah.

And you thought your data was safe (no you didn't).

Google has agreed to settle a massive $5 billion lawsuit that accused the embattled tech giant of improperly tracking the personal data of millions of people who used its Chrome browser's incognito mode, lawyers said Thursday.

Lawyers from both sides said they had signed a binding term sheet as part of the mediation process and would submit the agreement for final approval by a federal judge in Oakland, Calif., no later than Feb. 24, 2024 …

The suit accused Google of essentially creating an "unaccountable trove of information" that included innocuous items like shopping habits and hobbies to other "potentially embarrassing things" they viewed …

The plaintiffs' attorneys were seeking to recover least $5,000 in damages per user for the alleged violations of federal wiretapping and California privacy laws dating back to June 1, 2016.

Here's how Google's incognito mode greets you when you open it:

Lawyers from both sides have signed a binding document and it will have to be approved by a federal judge by February in order for the settlement to go through. Terms of the settlement have not been disclosed, though I'm guessing Google will still be watching your every move, even when you're in incognito mode.

Anyhow, I'm done, so you can go ahead and close your incognito tab now.

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