Google Slapped with €403M Fine Over Location Data Practices

Google has been fined €403 million by Ireland's Data Protection Commission for its handling of location data. The fine is part of an ongoing inquiry that began in 2020 and examined Google's practices from May 2018 to February 2020.

The commission found issues with location accuracy, which can identify Android devices more precisely than GPS, as well as the company's handling of location history and web and app activity. The regulator said Google had not met the GDPR's 'lawfulness, fairness, and transparency principle' in its processing of location data.

Google has six months to bring its location-data processing into compliance with GDPR regulations. This means addressing how it explains data collection, how long it keeps that information, and whether users are given a fair choice.