Google poised to pay $22.5M FTC settlement

SAN FRANCISCO -- Google Inc. has agreed to pay a $22.5 million fine to settle allegations that it broke a privacy promise by secretly tracking the online activities of millions of people who use Apple Inc.'s Safari web browser.

That's according to a person familiar with Google's negotiations to settle a case brought by the Federal Trade Commission. The person who spoke to the Associated Press Tuesday asked not to be identified because the agreement has not been approved by the FTC.

If approved, the $22.5 million fine would be the largest penalty ever imposed by the FTC on a single company.