Regulators in the U.S. and European Union are investigating Google Inc. GOOG +0.83% for bypassing the privacy settings of millions of users of Apple Inc.'s AAPL -0.69% Safari Web browser, according to people familiar with the investigations. Google stopped the practice last month after being contacted by The Wall Street Journal.
In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission is examining whether Google's actions violated last year's legal settlement with the government in which Google pledged not to "misrepresent" its privacy practices to consumers, according to people familiar with the investigation.
The fine for violating the agreement is $16,000 per violation, per day. Because millions of people were affected, any fine could add up quickly, depending on how it is calculated. The FTC declined to comment.
