EU Slaps Google with $463 Million Fine for Mishandling Location Data

Google has been slapped with a hefty fine of $463 million by the European Union's regulatory body for mishandling location data. The fine was issued by Ireland's Data Protection Commission, which oversees Google's activities in Europe due to its headquarters being located in Dublin.

The investigation focused on Google's handling of location data through its Web & App Activity and Location History features, which track users' browsing history, search queries, and mapped places via mobile phones. The commission found that Google failed to process location data lawfully, fairly, and transparently, including its Location Accuracy feature on Android.

The probe covered a two-year period from 2018 to February 2020 and took six years to complete. Regulators highlighted location data as a sensitive form of personal information, capable of revealing private details about individuals.