PRIVACY PENALTY: Google has agreed to pay a $22.5 million fine to settle a Federal Trade Commission case focused on the Internet company's unauthorized tinkering with the privacy settings on Apple's Safari Web browser. The tampering enabled Google Inc. to track the online activities of millions of unwitting Web surfers on personal computers, iPhones and iPads.
THE PROBLEM: Regulators believe Google Inc.'s tactics violated the terms of an FTC consent decree prohibiting the company from misleading consumers about its privacy practices.
WHAT'S NEXT: The proposed fine still needs to be approved by the FTC's five commissioners.
