Google To Pay $17M To Settle Safari Privacy Case

Maryland joined 36 states and the District of Columbia Monday in entering into a $17 million settlement with Google concerning allegations that it breached users privacy of those that used Safari web browser in 2011 and 2012.

The settlement stems from a technological loophole that enabled Google's DoubleClick advertising network to shadow unwitting Safari users, even though the browser's maker, Apple Inc., prohibited the tracking without obtaining a person's permission. By following what Safari users were doing online, DoubleClick could gain more insights about what types of ads were most likely to appeal to different Safari users.

“Given the many, often undetectable ways personal information can be collected and shared online, consumers need to be able to trust that their privacy preferences will be honored,” said Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler in a statement. “Internet companies must keep their privacy promises so that consumers can navigate the Internet on their own terms.”
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