To get around Safari’s default blocking, Google exploited a loophole in the browser’s privacy settings. While Safari does block most tracking, it makes an exception for websites with which a person interacts in some way—for instance, by filling out a form. So Google added coding to some of its ads that made Safari think that a person was submitting an invisible form to Google. Safari would then let Google install a cookie on the phone or computer.
Google turned the service off after being contacted by the WSJ.
When my 3-year-old notices I’ve seen him doing something wrong, he always stops doing it, hoping the whole issue will just go away. Google seems to have the same misconception.