Google Slapped with $463M Fine for EU Location Data Rule Breach

Google has been hit with a massive fine of $463 million for breaching the European Union's strict privacy rules. The company mishandled users' location data by not lawfully or fairly processing it in various settings, including Web & App Activity and Location History.

The Irish Data Protection Commission found that Google failed to be transparent when it processed personal data in its Location Accuracy feature on Android mobile operating systems.

The investigation opened six years ago and examined how Google applied the EU's General Data Protection Regulation from 2018 until February 2020. Regulators said location data can reveal a significant amount of information about an individual, including private details.

Google argued that it has since updated its policies and launched tools to simplify managing location data, but regulators were unconvinced by these changes.