FTC Slaps Google with Record $22.5 Million Fine over Privacy Violations

Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission announced that Google will pay $22.5 million to settle allegations that the Internet giant misrepresented privacy promises it made to users of Apple’s Safari browser. From law firm Mintz Levin: 

“According to the FTC complaint, when Safari users visited the Google ‘Advertising Cookie Opt-out Plugin’ page they were told that if they left the Safari default settings on they didn’t have to do anything else because those settings prevent third party cookies from being dropped. Safari’s default settings prevent third party cookies from being dropped except in limited circumstances such as when a site uses a ‘form submission’… In this case Google communicated with the Safari browser saying it was generating a form submission, but in reality Google was dropping a cookie from DoubleClick, their advertising network. Once the cookie was set, Safari then accepted all cookies from DoubleClick and DoubleClick sent targeted advertisements to those users.”

In plain English? Again, Mintz Levin:

“Google managed to circumvent the Safari settings and do exactly what they said they were not doing.”

But that wasn’t Google’s only misstep, according to the FTC. By misrepresenting the privacy protections it was providing Safari users, Google broke the terms of a consent order it had entered into with the federal agency. Law firm Davis Wright Tremaine:

“Although based on Google’s online disclosures and practices, this settlement stems from alleged violations of the terms of an October 2011 privacy settlement between Google and the FTC. That settlement resolved FTC charges that Google used deceptive tactics and violated its online privacy commitments to users when it launched its social network, Google Buzz. In settling, Google agreed not to misrepresent the extent to which users can exercise control over the collection of personal information.”

The $22.5 million fine is the largest ever obtained by the FTC for violation of a previous consent order. Google has denied the allegations.

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Read the updates:

• Federal Trade Commission Sends Strong Message with $22.5 Million Google Settlement - Mintz Levin 

• Google Settles Further Privacy Claims with FTC for $22.5 Million Penalty - Davis Wright Tremaine LLP 

• FTC Announces Settlement With Google Over Privacy Violations - BuckleySandler LLP 

• Google Privacy Violation Alleged, Leads To FTC Settlement - Peter Bauman 

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Also watch:

• Google Hit with Historic $22.5 Million Fine for “Tricking” Browser Settings—Al Saikali [VIDEO] – LXBN 

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Related reading:

• Facebook’s Privacy Policy Was a Lie Says the FTC - Lawyers.com 

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