Google Slapped with €403m Fine Over Location Data Misuse

Google has been fined €403m by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) for violating data protection rules regarding location data. The DPC investigated Google's processing of location data from May 2018 to February 2020 and found that users could have been unaware that their location was being used to influence them with ads or infer their interests. Location data can reveal a significant amount of information about an individual, including private information.

The investigation focused on location settings on services such as Google's search engine and Google Maps, as well as location accuracy features on Android devices. The DPC said that the retention of users' location data for longer than necessary aggravated the loss of control over personal data.

Google has stated that the case centers around historical policies that have since been updated, including settings to automatically delete data and increased transparency around how data is used. However, the company will appeal the ruling due to legal issues requiring clarification beyond this case.