Home / Technology / Google Fined €403M for Location Data Misuse
Google Fined €403M for Location Data Misuse
21 Sep
Summary
- Google fined over €400m for processing user location data improperly.
- Users may not have known their location influenced adverts or inferred interests.
- The DPC ordered Google to comply with GDPR within six months.
Google faces a substantial €403 million fine from Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) due to its processing of user location data. The DPC's inquiry, initiated six years ago, concluded that Google lacked a valid legal basis for how it utilized this sensitive information. Consumers were potentially unaware their location was being tracked and used for targeted advertising or to infer personal details.
The Irish regulator's investigation focused on Google's 'web and app activity,' 'location history,' and 'location accuracy' between May 2018 and February 2020. The DPC found that Google's practices resulted in a loss of user control over their personal data, aggravated by retaining location data longer than necessary. Google has been given six months to comply with the EU's general data protection regulation (GDPR).
