Google to remove billions of files with personal information

Google has agreed to settle a lawsuit by purging billions of personal records collected from over 136 million users in the US who surfed the internet through its Chrome web browser. The lawsuit accused Google of illegal surveillance, including tracking users’ internet activity even when using the “Incognito” setting. The settlement requires Google to delete personal records stored in its data centres and provide more prominent privacy disclosures about the Incognito option. Despite the settlement, consumers involved in the lawsuit will not receive any damages or payments from Google.

The settlement has been valued at $4.75 billion to $7.8 billion, based on potential ad sales that could have been generated from the personal information collected through Chrome. The settlement terms do not protect Google from future lawsuits related to the same issues, allowing individual consumers to pursue damages against the company in state courts. Investors do not seem concerned about the impact of the settlement on Google’s digital ad sales, with Alphabet’s shares rising three per cent following the announcement of the settlement.

Lawyer Austin Chambers, who specializes in data privacy issues, sees the settlement as a positive development that could influence the collection of personal information online in the future. He believes that preventing companies from profiting off data and requiring them to delete it could have a significant impact on products built around such datasets. Google still faces legal challenges that could have a larger impact on its business, including allegations of abusing its search engine dominance and potential changes to its app store for Android devices.

The US Justice Department has accused Google of abusing the dominance of its search engine to hinder competition and innovation, with a ruling expected in the autumn following closing arguments in May. Google may also have to make changes to its app store after a federal jury found it was running an illegal monopoly, with a hearing scheduled for late May. Despite the settlement in the Chrome lawsuit, Google faces ongoing regulatory threats that could significantly impact its business operations. The settlement terms in the Chrome case are seen as a step in the right direction for protecting personal privacy online.