Nice try, Google (News - Alert), but not even you, pioneer of the tech frontier, lord of the Internet search, have the right to spy on people. The Mountain View, California-based mega-firm has just settled a legal dispute over its violating privacy settings in Apple’s (News - Alert) Safari browser in 2011. Without anything vaguely resembling authorization, Google installed cookies to track Safari users. Not only were users unaware of Google's sneaky snooping, Apple privacy settings were heavily compromised. Google has agreed to pay $17 million to make the matter disappear. 

The settlement states that between 2011 and 2012, Google bypassed Safari's code using JavaScript to allow the installation of DoubleClick (News - Alert) cookies, and failed to inform users. The nefarious activity was first spotted by Jonathan Mayer, a researcher at Stanford, which led to Google promptly putting an end to its scheme and a highly-publicized investigation. The $17 million, which isn't exactly a threat to Google's bank, will be shared across 37 states and the District of Columbia.

A Google spokesperson released a statement to The Register (News - Alert) that suggested the company is more than happy to comply with privacy regulations.

“We work hard to get privacy right at Google and have taken steps to remove the ad cookies, which collected no personal information, from Apple’s browsers," said the spokesperson, adding, “We’re pleased to have worked with the state attorneys general to reach this agreement.”

Google must also have been pleased to reach its $22.5 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission last year when it was accused of the violating the same privacy rules. That $22.5 million was the largest civil penalty in the history of the FTC (News - Alert), and little more that a drop in the hat for Google. And really, what amount of money will scare Google into absolute compliance? (It's about as easy to believe that Google had absolutely no intention of bypassing privacy laws as it is to believe that Lindsay Lohan has never touched drugs). When it comes to companies as enormous as Google, it could help to think outside the cash box when lowering the boom.