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The Federal Trade Commision fined Google for ignoring users' privacy concerns

Published August 9, 2012 10:38PM (EDT)

Google has agreed to pay a $22.5 million fine to the Federal Trade Commission -- the largest in history -- for placing tracking cookies that bypassed the privacy settings of Apple's Safari browser. The penalty comes just four months after Google had agreed in another settlement with the FTC  that it would not "misrepresent its privacy policies to consumers."

“No matter how big or small," FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said, "all companies must abide by FTC orders against them and keep their privacy promises to consumers, or they will end up paying many times what it would have cost to comply in the first place."

Google is facing additional privacy violation charges in America and Europe.

 


By Salon Staff

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Consumerism Google Government Internet Privacy