[LINK] Google in the sights

[Jan Whitaker]

    * Updated March 15, 2012, 11:26 p.m. ET



Google in New Privacy Probes

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304692804577283821586827892.html



By 
<http://online.wsj.com/search/term.html?KEYWORDS=JULIA+ANGWIN&bylinesearch=true>JULIA 
ANGWIN

Regulators in the U.S. and European Union are 
investigating 
<http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=GOOG>Google 
Inc. for 
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204880404577225380456599176.html>bypassing 
the privacy settings of millions of users of 
<http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=AAPL>Apple 
Inc.'s Safari Web browser, according to people 
familiar with the investigations. Google stopped 
the practice last month after being contacted by The Wall Street Journal.

The investigations­which span U.S. federal and 
state agencies, as well as a pan-European effort 
led by France­could embroil Google in years of 
legal battles and result in hefty fines for 
privacy violations. The Journal in February 
reported that Google was using special computer 
code to install tiny tracking files, or 
"cookies," on some people's computers, iPhones 
and iPads, even if the devices were set to block this kind of tracking.

"We will of course cooperate with any officials 
who have questions," a Google spokeswoman said. 
"But it's important to remember that we didn't 
anticipate this would happen, and we have been 
removing these advertising cookies from Safari browsers."

In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission is 
examining whether Google's actions violated last 
year's legal settlement with the government in 
which Google pledged not to "misrepresent" its 
privacy practices to consumers, according to 
people familiar with the investigation.

The fine for violating the agreement is $16,000 
per violation, per day. Because millions of 
people were affected, any fine could add up 
quickly, depending on how it is calculated. The FTC declined to comment.

A group of state attorneys general, including New 
York's Eric Schneiderman and Connecticut's George 
Jepsen, are also investigating Google's 
circumvention of Safari's privacy settings, 
according to people familiar with the 
investigation. State attorneys general can have 
the ability to levy fines of up to $5,000 per violation.
[more at the link: 
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304692804577283821586827892.html



Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
blog: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com

Our truest response to the irrationality of the 
world is to paint or sing or write, for only in such response do we find truth.
~Madeline L'Engle, writer

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