Google Slapped with $463M Fine for Location Data Practices
The Irish Data Protection Commission has fined Google $463 million over its handling of user location data. The fine is one of the largest imposed by the Irish watchdog on a string of technology companies since Europe's General Data Protection Regulation took effect in 2018.
The investigation looked into Google's handling of location data spanning from when the privacy law took effect to February 2020, following complaints from several European consumer rights groups. The commission found that Google unlawfully processed and retained users' location data through 'Web & App Activity' and 'Location History', and failed to provide sufficient accountability and transparency around those features.
Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle stated that individuals could have been unaware of how their location was being used, which led to a loss of control over their personal data. Google has since made changes to its data protection practices, including auto-deleting older data and providing detailed information about the company's location data practices.