To settle a years-long lawsuit, Google has agreed to delete “billions of data records” collected from users of “Incognito mode,” illuminating the pitfalls of relying on Chrome to protect your privacy.
  • tb_English
    10•3 months ago

    it’s always been upfront

    The language it uses/used to use was rather ambiguous, especially for less tech savvy people.

    Perhaps it wasn’t false, but it definitely wasn’t upfront.

      • tb_English
        3•3 months ago

        You do know they updated it soon after this became a major thing, right?

        • magic_lobster_party
          10•3 months ago

          That linked picture is at least from 2017 from a quick research. What they clarify now in the latest update is that Google is not exempt from tracking your activity.

        • @[email protected]English
          6•3 months ago

          I don’t know that actually. I recall similar wording going back to when Incognito tabs were launched.

          Got a source on that?

          • tb_English
            3•3 months ago

            Google quietly updates Chrome’s incognito warning in wake of tracking lawsuit

            […]

            Here’s the updated text (emphasis added):

            “Others who use this device won’t see your activity, so you can browse more privately. This won’t change how data is collected by websites you visit and the services they use, including Google. Downloads, bookmarks and reading list items will be saved.

            https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/16/24039883/google-incognito-mode-tracking-lawsuit-notice-change

            The text in that article is different from your screenshot, I don’t know what’s up with that. Perhaps it’s regional.

            • @[email protected]English
              7•3 months ago

              I believe the one I posted is older, based on the logo.

              So looks like they’ve updated multiple times, each more reader-friendly than the last…

        • @conciselyverboseEnglish
          1•3 months ago

          They might have changed the wording, but it’s been insanely clear for many years, and it never at any point implied it changed anything about what websites did.

          • tb_English
            1•3 months ago

            You and I may have known, but

            it’s been insanely clear for many years

            If it had been clear it wouldn’t have become an issue.

            • @conciselyverboseEnglish
              1•3 months ago

              It isn’t an issue. The exact wording might have changed, but the content has been identical for years and years. It included “sites and others who can see your traffic can do whatever the hell they want” the whole time, in entirely unambiguous idiot proof language.

              This is an imaginary horseshit lawsuit. It was not possible to read the very obvious text and be misled about what incognito mode did or didn’t do at any point, and it was automatically displayed in every tab. There was never at any point any possible room for confusion.