The penalty announced Thursday by the Federal Trade Commission matches the figure media outlets, including the Associated Press, reported last month. It’s the largest fine the FTC has imposed against a company for violating a previous agreement with the agency.
Google Inc. isn’t admitting any wrongdoing in the settlement.
The fine isn’t for Google’s data collection but for misrepresentation of what was happening.
In October, Google signed a 20-year agreement that, among other things, included a company pledge not to mislead consumers about its privacy practices.
The FTC opened its investigation into the Safari activities six months ago after a researcher at Stanford University revealed that Google had overridden Safari safeguards that are supposed to prevent outside parties from monitoring Web-surfing activity without a user’s permission.
The tracking occurs through snippets of computer coding, known as cookies, that help Internet services and advertisers target marketing pitches based on an analysis of the interests implied by a person’s Web-surfing activity.
Google immediately withdrew its intrusive technology from Safari after the manipulation was reported.
But the circumvention of Apple’s built-in settings appeared to contradict a statement on Google’s online help center assuring Safari users that they didn’t need to do anything more to ensure that their online activities wouldn’t be logged by Google.
The apparent contradiction between Google’s words and actions became the focal point of the FTC investigation.
Google’s fine surpasses a nearly $19 million penalty the FTC slapped on a telemarketer accused of duping people into believing they were donating to charities.
Google’s stock price increased 60 cents, to $642.83, in midday trading Thursday after the FTC announcement.
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