Google has agreed to settle a high-profile dispute with the US Department of Justice over taking ads from rogue online Canadian pharmacies in violation of federal law.
The web giant has agreed to pay out $500m (£306m). The settlement, one of the largest ever in the US according to the Justice Department, covers the gross revenue received by Google as a result of Canadian pharmacies advertising through Google's AdWords programme, and the gross revenue made by those pharmacies from their sales to US consumers.
"The Department of Justice will continue to hold accountable companies who in their bid for profits violate federal law and put at risk the health and safety of American consumers," said deputy attorney general James M Cole. "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."
For more on this ZDNet UK-selected story, see Google settles rogue drug ad claims for $500 million on CNET News.
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