Google Hit with €403 Million Fine for Historical Location-Data Practices

Google has been fined €403 million by Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) for its historical location-data practices in the EU.

The fine, which is the fourth-largest among over €4 billion in penalties imposed by the Irish regulator since GDPR, concerns Google's processing of location data between 2018 and 2020 through three features: Web & App Activity, Location History, and Location Accuracy.

Google claims that its approach to location data has changed significantly since 2019, with users now able to automatically delete personal data on a rolling basis, store timeline data directly on their devices, and control how data is used for advertising.

The DPC's findings relate specifically to Google's practices between 2018 and 2020, and the fine should not be seen as a finding that Google's current location-data practices are identical to those examined in the investigation.

Google has been given six months to bring its location-data processing into compliance, and three additional DPC investigations are already at an advanced stage.