Google Slapped with Record Location Data Fine by Irish Regulators
The Irish Data Protection Commission has fined Google $460 million for violating location data usage rules. The fine is one of the largest ever levied by the commission and marks its first action against Google.
The investigation was launched in 2020 over complaints about Google's use of location data, which can reveal sensitive information such as a person's religious orientation, political preferences, health conditions, and sexual orientation. The commission concluded that Google violated the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation by processing and retaining location data without transparency.
Graham Doyle, deputy commissioner of the Irish Data Protection Committee, stated that location data can be used to infer an individual's location and reveal significant amounts of private information. Several European consumer advocacy organizations have raised complaints about Google's tracking practices.