Ireland's Data Protection Commission fined Google over €400m for manipulating users into allowing continuous location tracking on mobile devices. The six-year inquiry found Google lacked valid legal basis for processing location data and failed to adequately inform users that their location was being used for targeted advertising and inferring personal details about health, religion, and politics. Google must comply with EU data protection regulations within six months.
The Data Protection Commission fined Google €403 million for violating GDPR rules on location data processing across three features: Web & App Activity, Location History, and Location Accuracy. The violations included unlawful and unfair processing, lack of transparency, and excessive data retention between May 2018 and February 2020. Google must comply within 6 months.
Google has been fined €403 million by Ireland's Data Protection Commission for unlawful processing of location data between 2018 and 2020. The investigation found that Google failed to process location information in a transparent manner, allowing users to be unaware their data was used for targeted advertising and other purposes. Google has been ordered to comply with regulations within six months and has indicated it will appeal.