Google hit with €403m fine

Ireland's Data Protection Commission fined Google €403 million (£345 million) for unlawful handling of location data. It's one of the largest penalties the Irish watchdog has ever imposed.

Six-year investigation into tracking

The inquiry started six years ago after complaints from European consumer rights groups. It examined how Google processed location data between May 2018 and February 2020.

Three features violated privacy law

Google broke rules by processing location data through Web & App Activity, Location History, and Location Accuracy. The company failed to handle this data in a lawful, fair, or transparent way.

Location data reveals private life

Location information can expose sensitive details about a person's habits and movements. Users didn't know their location was being used to target ads or infer their interests.

“Location data can reveal a significant amount of information about an individual, including information that is inherently private.”

Google must fix practices in six months

Beyond the fine, Google must bring its data processing into compliance with GDPR within six months. The company says it has already improved its practices since 2019.

Google introduces new privacy tools

Google says it has launched auto-delete controls, personalized ads management, and increased transparency about location practices. Users can now set data to delete automatically every three, eighteen, or thirty-six months.

“From 2019 onwards, we've significantly evolved our practices and launched robust tools that make managing location data simple.”