Google Slapped with €403M Fine for EU Location Data Rule Breach

Google has been hit with a massive fine of €403 million ($463 million) for violating EU privacy rules related to user location data. The penalty was issued by Ireland's Data Protection Commission, which is the lead regulator for Google in the European Union due to its Dublin headquarters.

The investigation, which began six years ago and spanned from 2018 to February 2020, found that Google did not lawfully or fairly process location data in users' Web & App Activity and Location History settings. The company also failed to be transparent when processing personal data in its Location Accuracy feature on the Android operating system.

Google stated that the policies at issue have since been updated and that they have implemented new tools to make managing location data easier. However, regulators emphasized that location data is a sensitive type of personal information that can reveal an individual's location and private details.