Regulators and industry watchdog groups repeatedly warned Google that it was taking adverts from rogue online pharmacies in violation of federal law, according to a newspaper report.
Those alleged transgressions most likely led to the $500m (£310m) charge Google took in its recent quarter to cover potential charges related to resolving an investigation by the US Department of Justice. ZDNet UK's sister site CNET News reported on Thursday that Google was being praised by the White House for cracking down on illegal internet pharmacies at the same time the Justice Department was investigating the company.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that federal prosecutors are investigating whether Google employees "knowingly accepted business from illegal drug sellers". That would open the company up to criminal charges of aiding illegal online activities.
For more on this ZDNet UK-selected story, see Report: Google warned repeatedly about online drug ads on CNET News.
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