Find Out If You Are Eligible
If you feel that Google may have infringed on your privacy while using Incognito Mode, you can take our online quiz to see if you qualify to file a lawsuit.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is in the process of formally placing Google under federal supervision. Established in 2008, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau protects people from unfair and predatory practices by banks and financial institutions. They now want to use those same investigatory powers to review Google.
For the past few months, the CFPB has been discussing its supervision order with Google. The supervision order would allow CFPB regulators access to the company’s records and address policies the CFPB deems unsound. The tech giant and the CFPB have not reached an agreement on the order, and further details on the CFPB’s concerns are pending.
Why Is the CFPB Concerned With Google?
It’s not immediately clear why the CFPB is moving to place Google under supervision. In recent years, Google has come under fire from several antitrust lawsuits regarding its market dominance.
The 2020 Department of Justice Antitrust Lawsuit
In October 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed an antitrust lawsuit against the tech giant. The DOJ accused Google of being an illegal monopoly in search. The DOJ stated that Google made agreements with device manufacturers and carriers to make Google the default search option, which suppressed open market competition. In August 2024, a federal judge ruled in favor of the DOJ, which some speculate could lead to a breakup of Google.
The 2023 Department of Justice Digital Advertising Lawsuit
In January 2023, the DOJ and several state attorney’s offices filed another lawsuit against Google related to its advertising tech. This lawsuit argues that Google’s control over advertising technology led to inflated advertising costs and discouraged market competition. The DOJ is demanding Google restructure, which could lead to a further breakup of the tech giant.
The Multiple European Commission Antitrust Fines
In 2017, the European Commission fined Google for unfair shopping practices. In search results, Google was found to be favoring its comparison shopping over that of competitors. The European Union Courts upheld the decision and the €2.4 billion fine in September 2024.
In 2018, the Commission also fined Google €4.34 billion for antitrust violations based on its illegal practices with its Android operating system. And in 2019, the Commission again fined Google €1.49 billion for its restrictive advertising practices.
Google Settles in the Incognito Class Action Lawsuit
In December 2023, Google agreed to settle the Incognito class action lawsuit. Google was accused of misleading its users about privacy in Incognito Mode. Though users’ activity was not tracked on their local device or browser, Google was still tracking them through digital tools like Google Analytics and Ad Manager. Google then used this data to target advertising and sell it to third parties.
Google has agreed to delete millions of data records as part of the settlement. The settlement also included Google changing certain policies. Though no money was awarded, those affected do have the opportunity to file a lawsuit against Google.
Take the quiz now to see if you qualify to join the Incognito Mode lawsuit.
