Google pays $5.5m to settle Apple Safari privacy case

Class-action suit settled but consumers won't see a penny

Google has agreed to pay $5.5m for tracking Apple Safari users' web browsing habits in a data slurp that the company suggested was done by mistake.

This is on top of other fines that the firm has already paid during the case, which began in 2012 when researchers found that Google had used loopholes in Safari to scoop up personal data and track users on Apple's web browsers and OS - as it does everywhere else.

It was reported in 2012 that Google was due to pay $22.5m to the Federal Trade Commission over the affair and, again, in 2013 when it was revealed that an FTC fine of $17m would be spread out across 17 cities as a means of making good.

"Consumers should be able to know whether there are other eyes surfing the web with them. By tracking millions of people without their knowledge, Google violated not only their privacy but their trust," said New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman at the time.

"We must give consumers the reassurance that they can browse the internet safely and securely. My office will continue to protect New Yorkers from any attempts to deliberately expose their personal data."

Google has not yet responded to our request for comment on the latest reported settlement, but the company told us in 2013 that it was keen to work with the authorities.

"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," Google said in a statement.

"We're pleased to have worked with the state attorneys general to reach this agreement."

Google's payment of $5.5m will settle the class-action suit, but the affected consumers will get nothing, according to the Fortune website, as the money will go to privacy groups and on legal fees.