Well, this is certainly interesting: Google's CEO Larry Page knew all about ads his company ran for an illegal Mexican drug ring run by a convicted con artist and described in detail to Google executives. But the advertisements for illicit steroids were allowed to continue because, hey, more revenue for Google.

"We simply know from the documents we reviewed and witnesses we interviewed that Larry Page knew what was going on," U.S. attorney Peter Neronha told the Wall Street Journal This is known thanks, apparently, to concerned emails sent by Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg back when she worked at Google and subsequently admitted into evidence. The Feds used convicted fraudster David Whitaker to sting Google. "He walked Google executives through the illegal parts of the websites," said the WSJ. "He said he told ad executives that U.S. Customs had seized shipments, for example, and that one client wanted to be 'the biggest steroid dealer in the United States.'"

Google ended up settling for close to $500 million federal charges it knowingly assisted narcotics trafficking. Meanwhile, the company began requiring ordinary everyday users give their real legal names and other personal information in order to use its Google Plus social network and advanced features of Google's flagship search engine. It insists it needs the private data - backed up in some cases by scanned government documents - from users in order to "hold them accountable." If you think for a second that Google wants anyone's private information so it can hold them accountable, I've got some magic red pills to sell you. No prescription needed!