Google Slammed with $463M Fine for Location Data Misuse
Google has been hit with a massive fine of $463 million for breaching the European Union's strict privacy rules. The Irish Data Protection Commission, which serves as the lead regulator for Google in the EU due to its Dublin headquarters, found that the tech giant mishandled users' location data.
The investigation focused on how Google applied the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) from 2018 until February 2020. Regulators discovered that Google did not lawfully or fairly process location data in users' Web & App Activity and Location History, as well as its Location Accuracy feature in the Android mobile operating system.
Location data is considered personal information that can be used to infer someone's location. Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle noted that while this data can bring benefits, it also poses risks, including revealing private information about individuals.
This fine marks the fourth largest EU privacy fine issued by the Irish watchdog and comes as regulators continue to scrutinize Google's practices.