Author Topic: Google sued over tracking in incognito mode  (Read 1868 times)

ergophobe

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Google sued over tracking in incognito mode
« on: June 03, 2020, 03:13:42 PM »
So far, just allegations. But as I understand it, Google hasn't denied the claim, merely stated that what they are doing is not legal.

The allegation is that Google collects users' browsing history even in incognito mode.

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Many internet users assume their search history isn't being tracked when they view in private mode, but Google says this isn't the case.

The search engine denies this is illegal and says it is upfront about the data it collects in this mode.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-52887340
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/02/technology/google-sued-wiretap-privacy.html

I'm not sure how Google squares this with what it tells me when I open an incognito tab:

Quote
Chrome won't save the following information:
Your browsing history
Cookies and site data
Information entered in forms

Don't be evil.

Rupert

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Re: Google sued over tracking in incognito mode
« Reply #1 on: June 03, 2020, 03:44:16 PM »
I had a bit of a "what?" moment  when I read that too.  Thanks for checking what they say when you open a browser, I had not done that.

Firefox says:

You’re in a Private Window

Firefox clears your search and browsing history when you quit the app or close all Private Browsing tabs and windows. While this doesn’t make you anonymous to web sites or your internet service provider, it makes it easier to keep what you do online private from anyone else who uses this computer.
Common myths about private browsing
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/common-myths-about-private-browsing?as=u&utm_source=inproduct
... Make sure you live before you die.

ergophobe

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Re: Google sued over tracking in incognito mode
« Reply #2 on: June 03, 2020, 05:23:55 PM »
Yeah, I knew that ISPs and websites might still try to track me in incognito, I thought I had a reasonable expectation that the browser manufacturer would not.

That said, I mostly use incognito
1. To look at sites as an unauthenticated user when I'm working on it as an authenticated user in the main browser window
2. To look at sites without cookies and without browser extensions running, especially when Privacy Badger is rendering the site unusable.

And I gave up Chrome anyway.

Still, I really think the suit is correct that Google is being willfully nefarious in this case. In the universe of Google haters, I am much less anti-Google than most people on this forum, but this does in fact quite bother me on principle.
« Last Edit: June 03, 2020, 07:38:41 PM by ergophobe »

rcjordan

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Re: Google sued over tracking in incognito mode
« Reply #3 on: June 03, 2020, 07:17:24 PM »
>Google is being willfully nefarious in this case. In the universe of Google haters, I am much less anti-Google that most people on this forum, but this does in fact quite bother me on principle.

Ditto.

However, I operate on the assumption that there are always going to be one or more bad players involved in my browsing.

BoL

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Re: Google sued over tracking in incognito mode
« Reply #4 on: June 03, 2020, 09:32:19 PM »
>much less anti-Google than most people on this forum

I don't see much anti-Google here TBH, just commentary on a better ecosystem of search engines. Far as I can tell from comments I've seen here, no one's too emotionally invested in bashing them.

As for the story, I suppose their definition of private is slightly different to what the general population expected

ergophobe

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Re: Google sued over tracking in incognito mode
« Reply #5 on: June 04, 2020, 03:24:13 AM »
Well, dare I admit it, I use G Suite. So to some extent not using Chrome is moot.

Brad

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Re: Google sued over tracking in incognito mode
« Reply #6 on: June 04, 2020, 11:23:38 AM »
>anti-Google

*raises hand*

Even though I use their calendar and Gmail (as my junk mail address), I can't stand G.

This seems to be one of those, many, instances where Google is blinded by their own entitlement.  What's the point in having incognito mode if your own browser still tracks you?