The Internet giant has agreed to pay a half billion dollars to settle legal action by U.S. authorities related to a case of advertising illegal online pharmacies.
Five hundred million dollars. That's what Google is going to cost the dropping of charges by U.S. authorities for a case of illegal advertising. The "deal" was made official today by the U.S. Department of Justice. In exchange for a half-billion dollars, the giant of the Internet is exempt from prosecution by the authorities across the Atlantic. The agreement, which accepts responsibility, is "one of the largest ever found in the United States, 'the authorities in a statement.
A case of illegal advertising
Google was accused by the U.S. court in a case of advertising illegal online pharmacies. "The Internet search engine has accepted advertisements from online pharmacies based in Canada (...) and illegally imported drugs that require prescriptions in the U.S.," says the document. U.S. laws prohibit the sending yet by foreign drug requiring a prescription in the United States.
According to the website of the New York Times, the pharmacies' dispensing drugs without asking for an order in advance "and" selling counterfeit goods. " The amount that the group has agreed to pay such corresponding to the repayment of the money collected by Google from the sale of these ads and the Canadian pharmaceutical companies following the sale of their products in the United States.
Google ready for more rigorous
The case was revealed in May when Google indicated that it fund a half-billion dollars for this purpose. "Faced with the potential outcome of an investigation (...) on the use of Google ads by some advertisers, we have set aside $ 500 million during the quarter ended March 31," said the group was well.
Google is also committed through this agreement to "reform its abuses of advertising from these pharmaceutical companies," said Attorney James Cole. After initiation, the group had asked the laboratories wishing to promote their products on its site to be certified by the American Board of Pharmacists.
