In an effort to be more upfront with users, Google has clarified the language on Chrome’s Incognito Mode disclaimer, stating unequivocally that the firm does gather personal data.
“This won’t change how data is collected by websites you visit and the services they use, including Google.” The updated phrasing was found by tech news site MSPowerUser in the most recent Chrome Canary update for desktop and mobile. We installed the browser on our devices to double-check, and we can confirm the line is present.
The bullet points following the disclaimer are largely the same. One of the headers now states “Chrome won’t save the following information” followed by the list rather than simply “Chrome won’t save”.
Although unconfirmed, the language upgrade is most likely the outcome of a recent lawsuit settlement. In 2020, Google faced a $5 billion class action lawsuit alleging it of gathering user data from “web browsers operating in private mode.” The business claimed that every time a user accessed an incognito tab, Chrome plainly stated that it or other websites may collect information on them.
However, the judge presiding over the case did not buy the reasoning, adding that “Google never explicitly told users that it does so”. On December 28, 2023, the two sides reached an undisclosed settlement agreement.
Pending update
It is unclear when the phrasing will make its way from Canary to the stable version of the browser.
If you’re not familiar with Canary, it’s an experimental version of Chrome designed for developers who want to test out new features before they appear. It is not intended for the average individual because it is unstable and susceptible of crashing at any point.
Canary features sometimes take a long time to launch, but given that it’s only a few lines of text, we could see the Incognito Mode refresh arrive soon. Ars Technica reported in late December that the settlement must be filed to the court by the end of January. That court must approve the deal by the end of February.
So we could see the updated phrasing as early as March. We contacted Google for more information. This story will be updated later.
Keep in mind that this does not alter the company’s behavior. It will still collect data about you. The main change now is that Google informs individuals that it is gathering data.
