New York attorney general warns tech giants not to violate consumer privacy following Google cookie discovery     



From V3:

The issue came to light in February 2012 after it was revealed that Google had altered its DoubleClick advertising platform coding to circumvent settings in Safari that stopped third-party cookies from being installed. The practice had been taking place for nine months.

Installing these cookies allows Google to gather information on users’ browsing habits by tracking their movements across the web, so it can serve them more relevant adverts.

The issue has already proved costly for Google, after an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) led to a $22.5m fine for the firm. Now the US states have also secured a settlement, citing laws relating to consumer protection and privacy laws.

  Google pays $17m to settle Apple Safari consumer-tracking probe