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Google agreed to delete or remediate billions of browsing-event records covered by a settlement over Chrome Incognito tracking, and to change Incognito disclosures and controls. The agreement concerns private-browsing data, not every file Google holds. People represented by the class are not due a cash payment.
What the Chrome privacy case was about
Brown et al. v. Google LLC was filed in June 2020 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, case 4:20-cv-03664-YGR. The lawsuit alleged that Google and related technologies continued to track browsing activity when people used Chrome Incognito or another browser’s private mode believing it would protect them from tracking. The allegations describe the plaintiffs’ claims; they are not a finding that every allegation was proven.
In an April 1, 2024 report, the Associated Press said the settlement covered more than 136 million people in the United States who used Chrome. That is an estimate of the affected class, not a count of records or a statement that every person’s data was handled identically.
What data Google agreed to delete or remediate
The settlement agreement targets browsing records associated with the covered private-browsing modes. It calls for Google to delete or remediate “billions of event records.” That figure refers to records, not billions of separate files or people, and the agreement does not describe a purge of all personal data held by Google.
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The terms also require Google to revise Chrome’s Incognito disclosures so users are told that Google and websites may still collect data, and to implement additional technical controls. The proposal includes stronger controls affecting third-party cookies in Incognito.
Does the settlement pay users?
No direct payment is provided to people represented by the class, according to the Associated Press. The large dollar figure associated with the case is an estimate of the value of privacy protections, not a cash fund for users.
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- HDMI 2.1 cable required (sold separately)
- See movies and TV shows from all your services right from your home screen[2]; and find new things to watch with tailored recommendations for everyone in your home based on their interests and viewing habits
- Watch live TV and access over 800 free channels from Pluto TV, Tubi, and more[3]; if you find an interesting show or movie on your TV, mobile app, or Google search, you can easily add it to your watchlist, so it’s ready when you are[2]
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| Figure | What it describes |
|---|---|
| More than 136 million | U.S. users in the estimated affected class, as reported by the Associated Press in 2024. |
| Billions of event records | Records the 2024 settlement agreement says Google would delete or remediate. |
| $4.75 billion to $7.8 billion | Plaintiffs’ lawyers’ 2024 estimate of the value of privacy benefits—not money payable to class members. |
What Incognito does—and does not—hide
Incognito mainly prevents Chrome from retaining a local browsing-history record. It does not make a browsing session anonymous or prevent activity from being associated with an IP address.
- Websites: A site can still see activity associated with your IP address, and websites may collect data during private browsing.
- Your internet service provider: Incognito does not hide IP-based activity from your ISP.
- Google: The settlement itself calls for disclosures explaining that Google may still collect data in Incognito; private mode should not be treated as a guarantee that Google cannot observe activity.
A VPN or a privacy-focused browser is a separate tool, not a feature of Incognito. A VPN can change which IP address websites see, but it does not make you anonymous: it shifts some trust from your ISP to the VPN provider, and it does not prevent a website from collecting information you provide or associate with your account.
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Has the settlement been finally approved, and is the purge complete?
The available 2024 case materials establish that settlement terms were filed and that plaintiffs submitted a motion seeking final approval. They do not establish whether the court ultimately granted final approval or whether Google has completed every deletion, remediation, disclosure, and technical-control obligation. The agreement’s requirements should therefore not be mistaken for confirmation that every step has already been carried out.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What Google and the plaintiffs said
Google said, “We are pleased to settle this lawsuit, which we always believed was meritless.” The Associated Press also reported Google’s position that the technical data it was required to delete was old, was never associated with an individual, and was never used for personalization. Plaintiffs’ lawyers characterized the protections as a major privacy win and gave the estimated benefit range shown above. These are the parties’ respective positions, not interchangeable descriptions of what the court found.
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