# Google fined €403m over location tracking

> Ireland's data watchdog penalizes Google for unlawful handling of location data across three features.
- Title: Google fined €403m over location tracking · BBC News
- Summary: Ireland's data watchdog penalizes Google for unlawful handling of location data across three features. Google must pay €403m and fix its data practices…
- Keywords: google, data protection, location tracking, ireland, data protection commission, gdpr, fine, privacy violation, european union, personal data, news, world
- Source: BBC News — https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ck1e52v16ngxo
- Published: 2026-09-21T12:26:25.189+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: google, data protection, location tracking, ireland, data protection commission, gdpr, fine, privacy violation, european union, personal data, news, world
## 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.
## Key takeaway

Google must pay €403m and fix its data practices within six months after breaking EU privacy law.