Washington, D.C. – The Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Wednesday it has reached a $500 million settlement with Google following allegations that the Internet giant accepted millions of dollars in illegal drug ads from Canadian online pharmacies.
The DOJ said the ads, placed through the company’s AdWords program, resulted in the unlawful importation of drugs into the U.S. “Google was aware as early as 2003, that generally, it was illegal for pharmacies to ship controlled and non-controlled prescription drugs into the United States from Canada,” said the DOJ.
The agreement also requires Google to set up several compliance and reporting measures to insure it doesn’t repeat the infractions. “This settlement ensures that Google will reform its improper advertising practices with regard to these pharmacies while paying one of the largest financial forfeiture penalties in history,” said Deputy Attorney General James Cole.
This article was also published in Potomac Tech Wire.
Related Link:
DOJ – http://tinyurl.com/446hq73
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