Texas sues Google for collecting data of users in private browsing' mode

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton claimed that the Google search engine collects data on those who use a "private browsing" mode, according to the amended privacy lawsuit it filed against the Alphabet Inc. unit.

Other than Texas, Indiana, Washington State, and the District of Columbia filed separate suits against Google in January in state courts over what they claim are deceptive location-tracking practices that invade the privacy of users who think they can be anonymous.

Incognito mode or “private browsing” is a web browser function that Paxton said implies Google will not track search history or location activity.

According to the lawsuit, Google provides the option of "private browsing," which could include "viewing highly personal websites that might indicate, for example, their medical history, political persuasion, or sexual orientation," or "buying a surprise gift without the gift recipient being tipped off by a barrage of targeted ads."

According to the lawsuit, Google collects a variety of personal data even while a user is using Incognito mode.

In January, Google said that the attorneys general are bringing a case based on inaccurate claims and outdated assertions about their settings. It added that they have always built privacy features into their products and provided robust controls for location data.

Paxton previously claimed that Google misled customers by continuing to track their whereabouts even after they requested that it not be done.