Google Slapped with €403 Million Fine for Mishandling Location Data in Europe

The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) led a coordinated effort to take Google's tracking of users' whereabouts in Europe to task. Seven consumer groups filed complaints with Ireland's Data Protection Commission, citing concerns about how location data was being used for advertising purposes.

After an investigation, the commission found that Google had mishandled location data from May 25, 2018, when the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) went into effect, through February 4, 2020. The company was fined €403 million ($462 million), and given six months to bring its practices in line with EU law.

The commission found that Google had handled location data unlawfully and unfairly through Web & App Activity and Location History, kept it for too long, and failed to explain its practices clearly enough. Users were not adequately informed about how their location data was being used, and the company's advertising interests were cited as a justification for intrusive tracking.

BEUC welcomed the decision but criticized the nearly eight-year wait, saying delayed enforcement can be as harmful as none. Google said it would appeal, citing specific legal uncertainties requiring clarification beyond this case.