Google Slapped with £345m Fine for Mishandling Location Data

Google has been hit with a £345 million fine by the Republic of Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) for mishandling location data. The DPC conducted a six-year investigation into three Google features: 'Web and App Activity,' 'Location History,' and 'Location Accuracy.' The investigation found that Google processed location data in a way that was not 'lawful,' 'fair' or 'transparent.'

Graham Doyle, the DPC Deputy Commissioner, stated that individuals could have been unaware of how their location data was being used. He added that the retention of users' location data for longer than necessary aggravated this loss of control.

Google must bring its data processing into compliance within six months and has pushed back against the ruling, claiming that it targets outdated regulations. The tech giant has implemented 'industry-first auto-delete controls' to simplify managing location data.