FTC's Privacy Fine on Google Paves the Way for Cookie Handling for Businesses
The wars on privacy between search engines and web browsers continue despite Google's $22.5 million fine after the company was caught placing cookies on users' computers. Google took advantage of an Apple Safari bug that allowed the search engine engineers to bypass settings and place a cookie on the user's computer even if browser settings disallowed cookie placement. A lawsuit was filed, and the FTC ruled that Google must pay a fine for infringing on end-user's rights. The cookie wars pave the way for how midsize businesses and websites treat cookies and place those cookies on a user's computer.
Although businesses must adhere to browser security settings, cookies are necessary for advertising and tracking for affiliates. Affiliates are a part of any midsize business website, especially those that implement e-commerce solutions. The FTC ruling is a concern for midsize businesses that need to use cookies for tracking purposes. As CNET reports, Google used cookies for tracking purposes when users clicked on an ad through its DoubleClick network.
