Reading that article and the follow up[1], it looks like Google made use of a quirk in Safari to give third-party cookies that would otherwise be blocked. No other major browser blocked third party cookies in this way, so the workaround just made Safari act like, e.g., Firefox. The quirk was relatively well-known, used by other advertisers and "like" buttons and such, and the article says that "Facebook even encourages developers to exploit the same Safari quirk Google targeted here.".

Google then: * Acknowledged the problem and apologized * Stated that the workaround was meant to be used for their "+1" buttons and such, but not for advertisements * Stopped giving out these cookies for advertisements on Safari * Was sued by the FCC for $22 million * Is now being sued by consumers on nebulous grounds

If you accept the claim that it was an accident to begin with, I don't see that Google did anything wrong.

[1] http://mashable.com/2013/01/25/google-safari-tracking-lawsui...

Google is a serial offender when it comes to privacy violations. Not really different from big banks who are caught committing fraud but always manage to settle with a big wad of cash, without having to admit any guilt whatsoever.

Comparing Google ethics to banks ethics. sorry you said wat?!

I worked for at a credit bank and I am still shocked at how immoral my coworkers were... I mean there was no limit : racist discrimination with the first name to calculate a risk on a consumer credit ? checked. Intentionally put people under with credit, anticipating the fact and be first to recollect ? checked.

At Google, from day one if you remember one thing they tell you : You never mess with private data ever.

Huh? I don't think it is anywhere near as bad as Facebook, for example.

or this: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/jul/09/google-cli...