Key facts
- Google was fined €403 million by Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC).
- The fine was issued over Google's handling of user location data.
- The DPC found Google processed data unlawfully, unfairly, and without transparency.
- The issues concerned Google's Web & App Activity, Location History, and Location Accuracy functions between May 2018 and February 2020.
- Google has been ordered to comply with GDPR within six months.
Google has been fined €403 million (£345 million) by the Republic of Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) for its handling of user location data. The penalty, one of the largest imposed by the Irish watchdog, concludes an inquiry launched six years ago following complaints from European consumer rights organizations. The DPC found that Google processed location data in a manner that was not "lawful", "fair" or "transparent" concerning its Web & App Activity, Location History, and Location Accuracy features between May 2018 and February 2020. Deputy commissioner Graham Doyle stated that such data can "reveal a significant amount of information about an individual, including information that is inherently private," and that individuals could have been unaware their location was used for advertising or to infer interests. Google has been ordered to bring its data processing into compliance with GDPR within six months. A Google spokesperson stated that the case relates to historical policies that have since been updated, and that the company has significantly evolved its practices and introduced new tools for managing location data.