Jun 03, 2020 14:00:00

Class action lawsuit seeking damages of about 540 billion yen against Google, ``Google also collects personal information from browsing in privacy mode,'' the plaintiff argues

Google and its parent company Alphabet filed a class action lawsuit on June 2, 2020 (Tuesday), saying that it has extensively tracked individual users' Internet usage information via a web browser set to

privacy mode. It is reported that it was done. The plaintiffs are asking Google for $5 billion in damages.

Google faces $5 billion lawsuit in US for tracking'private' internet use-Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-alphabet-google-privacy-lawsuit/google-faces-5-billion-lawsuit-in-us-for-tracking-private-internet-use-idUSKBN23933H

Google faces US$5 billion lawsuit in US for tracking'private' internet use-CNA
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/google-faces-us-5-billion-lawsuit-in-us-for-tracking--private--internet-use-12798380

Some web browsers have a privacy mode (secret mode). When you browse a web page in privacy mode, the history and cookies after browsing are automatically deleted.

However, the privacy mode does not allow completely anonymous web browsing, it is only for web browsing with a blank state. For example, opening a new tab in incognito mode in Google Chrome states that 'the website you are visiting, your employer or school, and your internet service provider may be aware of your activity.'

The plaintiffs are Chasom Brown, Maria Nguyen, William Byatt and others. According to the

complaint filed in federal court in San Jose, Calif., the plaintiffs said, 'Whether or not a user clicks on a Google-provided ad, Google Analytics , Google Ad Manager , and other We collect data through applications and website plugins.'

The plaintiffs say, 'Google can know about your friends and hobbies, your favorite foods, your shopping habits, and even the 'most personal and potentially embarrassing ones' you search online.'

The plaintiffs say that there are more than 1 million Google users who browse the Internet in private mode after June 1, 2016, saying that Google violates the eavesdropping law in the United States and the privacy law in California 1 It is said that at least $ 5,000 (about 540,000 yen) damage compensation is requested per person.

In response, Google countered that 'it is virtually impossible to continue to collect unauthorized and confidential data from all Americans using a computer or phone.' A Google spokesman said, 'Google will veer over the plaintiffs' claims.'