Google agreed to pay a $22.5 million civil penalty to settle US Federal Trade Commission charges that it misrepresented privacy assurances to users of Apple’s Safari browser. It was the largest penalty the FTC had obtained for violating one of its orders.
What happened
- The FTC said Google placed advertising tracking cookies on Safari users’ devices despite telling them they would be blocked by Safari’s default settings.
- Google used a technical workaround to get around Safari’s cookie blocking.
- The conduct breached Google’s 2011 consent order over its Buzz social network.
- Google was also required to disable the tracking cookies it had placed on Safari users’ computers.
Why it mattered
The case showed US regulators were prepared to impose significant penalties for breaking privacy commitments, even though the sum was small relative to Google’s revenue. It foreshadowed later scrutiny of online tracking and consent.
Lessons for organisations
Make sure tracking and cookie practices match what your privacy notices say, and respect browser privacy settings. In the UK, PECR requires consent for non-essential cookies, so audit third-party tags on your website regularly.
Source: Federal Trade Commission
Part of our Top stories archive of headline-making events in information security, privacy, and AI. If you would like help applying the lessons to your organisation, contact us.
