Over the years, regulators on both sides of the Atlantic have cracked down on Facebook and Google for privacy violations. But as the European Union prepares to introduce comprehensive new data protection regulation in May, European regulators have been stepping up investigations into tech industry data practices.

MARCH 2011

The Federal Trade Commission for the first time requires a company to institute a comprehensive program to protect consumer data privacy

Google reaches a settlement with the F.T.C., which charged the company with using deceptive tactics and violating its own privacy promises to consumers. Google had enrolled Gmail users in its social network, Buzz, without effective ways for them to opt out of the service or limit the sharing of their personal details, the agency said.

NOVEMBER 2011

The F.T.C. goes after Facebook for exposing users’ information

Facebook agrees to settle charges by the F.T.C. that it deceived users by telling them that they could keep their profile information private and then repeatedly allowing it to be shared and made public.

AUGUST 2012

The F.T.C. fines Google $22.5 million for Safari privacy violations

Google agrees to pay $22.5 million to settle F.T.C. charges that the company misled people who used Apple’s Safari browser by placing advertiser tracking codes, called cookies, on their computers after Google told them that they would be opted out of such tracking. Google also violated a previous settlement that prohibited it from misleading consumers over how they could control collection of their data, the agency said.