Google Chrome Incognito users lose $5B damages appeal

A group of Google Chrome users who claimed that the company collected their private data in "Incognito" mode had their appeal for class action status rejected by the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. The court upheld a previous ruling that denied their bid for large-scale claims, which could have included damages of up to $5 billion. Despite this setback, the plaintiffs may revive their monetary damages claims when a final judgment is reached, and they can also pursue other reliefs, such as limiting certain data collection practices. Google has denied any wrongdoing, asserting that its users consented to data collection. While the plaintiffs cannot seek monetary damages as a class, they still have the opportunity to pursue other claims against the company. A jury trial is scheduled for November 2023.