Google to delete search data of millions who used 'incognito' mode

Google to delete search data of millions who used 'incognito' mode Enlarge this image toggle caption Matt Slocum/AP Matt Slocum/AP Google will destroy the private browsing history of millions of people who used "incognito" mode in its Chrome browser as a part of a settlement filed to federal court on Monday in a case over the company's secret tracking of web activity. For years, Google simply informed users of Chrome's internet browser that "you've gone Incognito" and "now you can browse privately," when the supposedly untraceable browsing option was turned on — without saying what bits of data the company has been harvesting. In addition, when users are using incognito mode, Google will by default block third-party companies from tracking peoples' so-called cookies, which is how advertisers glean information about a person's search history. In a statement, Google spokesman José Castañeda said the company is "happy to delete old technical data that was never associated with an individual and was never used for any form of personalization."