EU Fines Google €403 Million for Breaching Location Data
The European Union has fined Google €403 million for breaching users' location data. This fine is related to the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which was infringed upon by Google between May 2018 and February 2020.
Ireland's Data Protection Commission, acting on behalf of the European Union, issued the fine. The commission stated that Google processed location data in a way that was not lawful or fair, specifically in regards to web and app activity and location history.
DPC deputy commissioner Graham Doyle emphasized the importance of users being aware of how their location data is being used: 'As a result of Google's failures (...) individuals could have been unaware that their location was being used to influence them with ads or to infer their interests.'