United States v. Google Inc.
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Google-FTC Case
- Google was fined $22.5 million by the FTC for violating its privacy promises to users.
- The FTC alleged that Google misrepresented its privacy practices and collected user data without consent.
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Google Buzz Case
- Google Buzz was launched through Gmail, and users were not adequately informed about sharing their data.
- The FTC ordered Google to implement a comprehensive privacy program and subject itself to independent audits for 20 years.
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Safari Case
- The United States filed a complaint against Google for violating the privacy program it had agreed to with the FTC.
- Google allegedly overrode Safari’s default cookie settings to track users, despite its representations to Safari users.
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Court’s Opinion
- The District Court for the Northern District of California approved a Proposed Order that required Google to pay a civil penalty and delete cookies from Safari users.
- Consumer Watchdog objected to the Proposed Order, but the Court found it to be fair and reasonable.
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Impact
- The case had a significant impact on the technology industry, showing the enforceability of FTC consent orders.
- It was the first case in which the FTC was able to fine a private company under Section 5 of the FTC Act.
- The case highlighted the importance of privacy promises made by companies and the FTC’s efforts to enforce them.
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