Google is being sued for $5 billion (£3.9bn) for allegedly breaching the privacy of its users.
Lawyers have claimed the tech firm tracked the search history of millions of its users despite them switching to Google Chrome's 'Incognito Mode', which assures people that their history is not saved.
Lawyers dealing with the case have said that Google's warehouse of personal data is 'something the writer George Orwell couldn't even have imagined.'
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The lawsuit was filed in San Jose, California, and claims that whether a user clicks on Google-supported ads or not, the company continues to gather data on that person through various apps, such as Google Analytics.
The result of this, it is claimed, is that Google is able to build up a clear picture of that user, from their friends and hobbies to the 'most intimate and potentially embarrassing things' that they search for on the internet.
According to reports, the complaint brought against the internet giant reads: "Through its pervasive data tracking business, Google knows who your friends are, what your hobbies are, what you like to eat, what movies you watch, where and when you like to shop, what your favorite vacation destinations are, what your favorite color is, and even the most intimate and potentially embarrassing things you browse on the internet-regardless of whether you follow Google's advice to keep your activities 'private'.
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"Indeed, notwithstanding consumers' best efforts, Google has made itself an unaccountable trove of information so detailed and expansive that George Orwell could never have dreamed it.
"Google must be held accountable for the harm it has caused to its users in order to ensure it cannot continue to engage in the covert and unauthorized data collection from virtually every American with a computer or phone."
Google says it disputes the claims, and spokesperson Jose Castaneda told CNET: "Incognito mode in Chrome gives you the choice to browse the internet without your activity being saved to your browser or device. As we clearly state each time you open a new incognito tab, websites might be able to collect information about your browsing activity during your session."
This comes after it was revealed that Pablo Escobar's brother was suing Apple for $2.6 billion after claiming his phone was hacked through FaceTime.
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The sibling of the dead drug kingpin has claimed he received a threatening letter from someone named Diego who had managed to get his address, as well as other information, from the video call app.
According to reports, court documents seen by media outlets state that Roberto went to the Apple store in Medellin, Colombia, in April 2018.
It was then that he purchased the mobile phone after reportedly being assured by staff that it was the safest and most secure phone on offer at that time.
Within a year of owning it, however, Roberto claims he received a menacing letter and became extremely concerned for his family's safety.
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