Google has pledged to destroy the private browsing history of millions of people who used Chrome’s “incognito” mode. The tech giant agreed to delete billions of data records as part of a settlement for a lawsuit that accused Google of improperly tracking the web-browsing habits of users who thought they were browsing the internet privately.

The lawsuit, originally filed in 2020, alleged that Google misrepresented the kind of data it collects from users who browsed the internet via “Incognito” private browsing mode in Chrome. Although Google settled the suit late last year, the terms of the settlement were recently disclosed in a filing.

As part of the settlement, Google must delete “billions of data records” reflecting the private browsing activities of users involved in the class action suit. The company is also required to update its disclosure to inform users about the data it collects each time a user initiates a private browsing session. Google has already begun implementing these changes.

Furthermore, for the next five years, Google will allow private browsing users to block third-party cookies as part of the settlement. Additionally, Google will no longer track individuals’ choices to browse the internet privately.

David Boies, the attorney representing the consumer plaintiffs, hailed the settlement as “a historic step in requiring honesty and accountability from dominant technology companies.” He emphasized that the settlement mandates Google to delete and remediate the data it improperly collected in the past on an unprecedented scale.

In response, José Castañeda, a Google spokesperson, stated that the company is “pleased to settle this lawsuit, which we always believed was meritless.” Castañeda clarified that Google never associates data with users when they use Incognito mode and is happy to delete old technical data that was never associated with an individual or used for personalization.

Regarding damages, the terms of the settlement disclosed in court filings stated that users involved in the class action suit will not receive damages as part of this settlement, but they retain the option to sue for damages individually.

This settlement marks a significant development in the ongoing debate over online privacy and user data protection, particularly concerning the use of private browsing modes offered by internet browsers.