On Friday, The Wall Street Journal exposed Google Inc. for bypassing the privacy settings of Apple Inc.’s Safari Web browser. Utilizing a code that circumvented Safari’s default setting of blocking cookies that track users’ browsing habits, Google was able to continue its tailor-made advertising practices on many unsuspecting iPhone and computer users.
    
The code Google used was spotted by Stanford researcher Jonathan Mayer and confirmed by Ashkan Soltani, a technical adviser to the journal.
   
 This is a shocking revelation, considering the fact that one Google site claimed that Safari users could rely on Safari’s privacy settings to prevent tracking by Google.
    
Google began backpedaling faster than Eric Berry dropping into coverage on a Hail Mary pass. The code was promptly disabled after being contacted by the Journal. Tuesday night, the electronic media giant removed the language from the site that falsely claimed that users were being protected by Safari’s privacy settings.
    
Google released a statement that said, “The Journal mischaracterizes what happened and why. We used known Safari functionality to provide features that signed-in Google users had enabled. It’s important to note that these advertising cookies do not collect personal information.”
   
 In seems that Google may have overstepped some boundaries of fair business practice, essentially strong-arming Apple users out of their privacy. The gist of what this journalist got out of that statement is that Google preferences trump those of Safari. In a poker game featuring the leaders of cyberspace today, Google had an ace up its collective sleeve.
    
The ramifications of this revelation could also carry heavy monetary value, as well. Google’s legal settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission last year included a clause that the company would not “misrepresent” its privacy practices to consumers, which is precisely what it has done. The agreed-upon fine for the violation of this agreement is $16,000 per violation, per day.
    
In a PC World article, Justin Brookman, director of consumer privacy at the Center for Democracy and Technology, a non-profit organization working to keep the Internet open, innovative and free, said that Google was “incredibly stupid” to slip tracking cookies into Safari since the company is already under scrutiny by the FTC. He said, “I’d be very surprised if there was not some type of FTC action.”
    
When the reach of Google’s code is accounted for, there should be little surprise anywhere if the FTC levies a hefty fine for the violation. The code was in ads on major sites such as Fandango.com, Match.com, AOL.com, TMZ.com, UrbanDictionary.com and even WSJ.com, the website of the newspaper company that broke the news of the infraction, among others.
    
The timing could not be much worse for Google. Internet regulation has already been at the forefront of the nation’s attention recently because of the SOPA and PIPA anti-piracy bills.
    
The effects were felt overseas as well, as European Union privacy officials asked Google to “pause” the roll out of a new privacy policy, which is planned for March 1, until the union can confirm the privacy of EU citizens.
   
 Issues such as these cannot be taken lightly as cyberspace’s role in the economy, politics and as a social institution central to the lives of individuals continues to increase.
    
Forty years ago, the only worry surrounding our bombardment with advertisement was the content of the ads (cigarette ads banned from TV in 1971) or how long one had to wait before his or her program came back on. The complexity of advertising in the media has no doubt grown as time has progressed.
    
As companies continuously struggle to get the upper hand in the advertising arena, the search for ways to increase the power of each advertising dollar will not cease. Basing the ads that a user sees on their browsing activity is an extremely effective marketing tool — if the user agrees to release that data.
    
By requiring a user to communicate in some way with the website before allowing cookies, Safari allowed users a way to give consent for the cookies.
    
While the genius behind tailoring advertisements to the individual user is undeniable, the power that comes with this development is also unquestionable. With great power comes great responsibility, and Google has fumbled this responsibility on an international stage.


— Ashton Smith is a sophomore in communications. He can be reached at ssmit192@utk.edu.