Google has been dropping tracking cookies on Apple's Safari browser using a loophole in Safari's privacy settings. The issue was reported by the Wall Street Journal in collaboration with Stanford research Jonathan Mayer.
Google tricked the Safari browser into placing the cookie by submitting a fake form to mimick user interaction. The allowed cookies to be placed on iPhone, iPad, and Mac computers.
In a statement from Google, the company said "we have now started removing these advertising cookies from Safari browsers" and that the practice has been mischaracterized.
In response, a class action lawsuit has been filed in Delaware by lawyers representing Matthew Soble.
What to do if you're a Safari user? Google says it will be stopping the practice and Apple may make changes that close the loophole. In the meantime, consider examining your cookies and deleting some of all of them. The Wall Street Journal also has an article about
some other options.