For years, Google’s Chrome browser has offered “Incognito” mode, a setting promising users increased privacy.
However, a recent lawsuit revealed that Google continued tracking user activity even within this supposedly private mode, leading to significant legal consequences.
What is Incognito Mode?
Incognito mode has several key features that give users a sense of enhanced privacy:
Browsing History: Does not save your web browsing history locally.
Cookies: Deletes cookies from that session when you close the Incognito window. Cookies are small files websites use to track your activity.
Reduced Footprint: Aims to limit how much data is stored on your device during Incognito browsing.
Google found itself in legal hot waters when it was accused of tracking users even when they were browsing in Incognito mode.
The lawsuit alleged that the tech giant continued to collect data on users’ browsing habits through Google Analytics, Google Ad Manager, website plug-ins, and other applications, despite the promise of privacy purported by Incognito mode.
This practice, the plaintiffs argued, was deceptive and violated user trust and privacy expectations, contrary to Google's messaging, the company allegedly still collected substantial data on users, including:
Location Tracking: Google could track a user's location through IP addresses and other data points.
Search Activity: Google maintained records of search queries made in Incognito mode.
Cross-Site Tracking: Google systems could associate Incognito activity with a user's Google account when they were simultaneously logged in to other Google services.
The outcome of this lawsuit has been closely watched by privacy advocates, tech companies, and law enforcement agencies alike. Google recently settled the class-action lawsuit and agreed to delete so
me of that data. Nonetheless, the case has important implications for law enforcement. While data collected by third-party companies like Google may still be crucial as evidence in investigations, officers must be aware that "Incognito" activity was never entirely hidden.
Even if a suspect uses Incognito mode, LEO should not assume their actions are untraceable. Consultation with digital forensics experts remains crucial to understand the potential to recover evidence in such scenarios.
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