Google (Nasdaq: GOOG), the No. 1 search engine, could pay $22.5 million to settle U.S. Federal Trade Commission complaints that it infringed on the privacy of millions of customers of Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), the Wall Street Journal reports.

The penalty would be the largest ever against a technology company. Last year, Facebook (Nasdaq: FB), the No. 1 social networking site, agreed to be monitored for 20 years by the FTC but didn't have to pay a penalty.

The FTC alleged that Google, of Mountain View, Calif., bypassed privacy settings in Apple's Safari browser. Last year, Google also signed a 20-year privacy agreement with the FTC.

The FTC previously brought similar actions against Twitter and MySpace, which both agreed to be monitored for 20 years.

Google shares rose $1.38 to $587.39 in Tuesday trading.

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