Google is now under investigation by the FTC for its use of a computer code that bypassed Apple’s Safari privacy settings to track users’ online activity for targeted ads.
“The investigations — which span U.S. federal and state agencies, as well as a pan-European effort led by France — could embroil Google in years of legal battles and result in hefty fines for privacy violations,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“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.”
Last year, Google made an agreement with the FTC to not misrepresent its privacy practices. The trade commission is looking into whether the use of the code violated this agreement. If Google is found at fault, the company could face hefty costs — up to $16,000 per violation, per day.
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