AI tech giant Google has agreed to delete billions of data records in a settlement of a lawsuit that accused it of secretly monitoring the Internet activity of users it believed were browsing in privacy. Google was being sued by some users who believed the company was not accessing their data, Reuters reported.
Google to erase data
Google has agreed to delete billions of data records to settle a lawsuit that accused it of secretly monitoring the Internet activity of users it believed were surfing privately.
Google spokesman Jose Castaneda said the company had long believed the lawsuit was without merit, but was pleased with the settlement.
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AI technology giant Google won't pay money in lawsuit
Reuters also highlights that plaintiffs' lawyers estimate the value of the agreement at more than $5 billion, with a maximum of $7.8 billion. Users have the option of suing Google individually for damages, but the company has not made any payments.
People claimed that Google used Google analytics, cookies, and apps to improperly track users who set their Chrome browser to “incognito” mode and other browsers to “private” browsing mode.
As part of the settlement, Google will update its disclosures about the data it collects during “private” surfing, as it has already begun. In addition, users of Secret Cookies are given her five-year limit on third-party cookies.
Questions about Google's AI model
This isn't the only obstacle Google currently faces. Previously, Google, a division of Alphabet Inc., announced it would stop creating photos of people after facing backlash over the way its Gemini AI algorithm processes images based on race. Google has reportedly confirmed that it is currently working on addressing recent issues with Gemini's image generation component. The company has since decided to stop producing portraits and make an improved version available soon.
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