In a major development, Google has agreed to settle a $5 billion privacy lawsuit that accused the tech giant of spying on users who utilized the “incognito” mode in its Chrome browser, as well as similar “private” modes in other browsers. The class-action lawsuit, which was filed in 2020, alleged that Google had deceived users into believing that their internet activities would not be tracked while using incognito mode.

The lawsuit argued that despite users' belief in the privacy of their browsing experience, Google's advertising technologies and other techniques continued to collect and catalog details of their site visits and activities. This, according to the plaintiffs, resulted in an "unaccountable trove of information" about users who had taken steps to protect their privacy.

The settlement, which was reached on Thursday, is still subject to approval by a federal judge. While the terms of the settlement were not disclosed, the original lawsuit sought $5 billion on behalf of affected users. Lawyers representing the plaintiffs have stated that they plan to present a final settlement agreement to the court by February 24.

Google has not yet provided an official comment on the settlement. It remains to be seen how this settlement will impact the company's reputation and its ongoing efforts to address privacy concerns. With privacy becoming an increasingly important issue for users, this case serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by tech companies in balancing user expectations with their business models.