The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has imposed a fine of €403 million on Google. The penalty follows a multi-year investigation into how the company collected, processed, and retained user location data between 2018 and 2020.
The investigation focused on three specific features: Web & App Activity, Location History, and Location Accuracy. Regulators concluded that Google violated the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by failing to ensure transparency and lawful processing of personal information.
The DPC initiated the inquiry in February 2020 after receiving complaints from several European consumer rights organizations, including BEUC. The regulator determined that users may have been unaware that their location data was being used to infer interests or target advertisements.
Google has been ordered to bring its data-processing practices into compliance within six months. This penalty is the fourth-largest issued by the Irish regulator, which has collected over €4 billion in fines since the GDPR took effect in 2018.
The DPC continues to monitor the company, with three additional statutory inquiries currently in advanced stages. This decision underscores the ongoing regulatory pressure on major technology firms regarding privacy standards and data management in the European Union.
