Google Inc. in 2011 agreed to pay $500 million to settle allegations by the U.S. Department of Justice that it profited from ads purchased by online pharmacies that the search giant knew was improperly selling prescription drugs.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is FedEx rival UPS. To avoid similar criminal charges, the Atlanta-based company agreed last year to pay $40 million and change its policies and procedures, including appointing a compliance officer to monitor online pharmacies.
The officer's job is to report suspicious activity to senior executives and federal investigators. UPS was also required to hire an outside auditor to oversee the compliance officer and both appointments were approved by the DOJ, UPS spokeswoman Susan Rosenberg.
"The issue of illegal online pharmacies is not about privacy but a matter of supply chain integrity and the creation of processes to ensure that illegal activity is not facilitated," Rosenberg said. She said the agreement with the government doesn't require UPS to search packages.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/fedex-charges-raise-online-pharmacy-issues-24726188