Google Slapped with €403M Fine for Alleged Mobile Phone Tracking Coercion

Google has been hit with a fine of about €403 million ($463 million) by the Data Protection Commission (DPC) of Ireland for allegedly coercing users into agreeing to continuous mobile phone tracking. The DPC's investigation, which began six years ago, was triggered by complaints from multiple European consumer organizations and a 2018 study by the Norwegian consumer agency, Forbrukerrådet.

The study found that location data could disclose personal information such as religious beliefs, political affiliations, health conditions, and sexual orientation. The DPC's fine follows an investigation into whether Google lawfully and transparently processed users' location data through features including Location History, Web & App Activity, and Location Accuracy.

Google told the publication that the case concerns outdated policies, noting that it has significantly changed its practices since 2019 and introduced tools to make location-data management easier. However, the regulator concluded that Google users may not have been aware that their location data was being used for targeted advertising or to gather insights into their health and interests.