Google has been hit with a €403 million fine by Ireland's Data Protection Commission following an investigation into how the tech giant handled users' location data.
The watchdog found that, between 2018 and 2020, Google did not meet GDPR requirements around transparency and fairness when processing location information across services including Google Search, Google Maps and certain Android features.
According to the DPC, users may not have fully understood how their location data was being collected and used, including for advertising purposes and to build profiles based on their interests. The regulator also raised concerns about the length of time some location data was retained.
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The investigation began in 2020 after complaints from European consumer organisations. As part of its ruling, the DPC has ordered Google to bring its data processing practices into compliance within six months.
The case may relate to older policies as Google states that it has since introduced a number of privacy changes.
The changes that have been introduced by Google include settings to automatically delete data, ad management tools, and increased transparency around how data is used. The company is expected to appeal aspects of the decision focussed on legal issues that require clarification beyond this case.
