Google is facing a $5 billion lawsuit amid claims its technology invades the privacy of users even when they are using incognito mode. The class proposed by the complaint could potential involve “millions” of Google users, Reuters reported.
According to the complaint filed in the federal court in San Jose, California, Google gathers data through Google Analytics, Google Ad Manager and other applications and website plug-ins, including smartphone apps, regardless of whether users click on Google-supported ads. This helps Google learn about users’ friends, hobbies, favorite foods, shopping habits, and even the “most intimate and potentially embarrassing things” they search for online, the complaint said. Google “cannot continue to engage in the covert and unauthorized data collection from virtually every American with a computer or phone,” the complaint said. Jose Castaneda, a Google spokesman, said the Mountain View, California-based company will defend itself vigorously against the claims.
Check It Out: Google Facing Lawsuit Overs Alleged Tracking of Users Using Incognito Mode
Ever wonder what those facebook/twitter/pinterest tracking buttons are actually for?
There is a floating Google ad on this page.
Yes, it’s amusing that this page loads assets (recaptcha?) from Google.
And trackers from Facebook and Twitter of course…