Google Slapped with €403 Million Fine Over Location Data Handling

Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) has fined Alphabet's Google €403 million for processing location data without users' consent.

The inquiry, opened in 2020, followed complaints from European consumer rights organisations regarding Google's handling of location data related to its services and products.

According to the DPC, individuals may have been unaware that their location was being used for targeted advertising or to infer their interests without their knowledge or control.

The retention of users' location data for longer than necessary exacerbated this loss of control, said DPC Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle.