Dublin, Sept 22:
Google has been fined 403 million euros, or about $463 million, by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission for breaching European Union privacy rules in its handling of users’ location data.
The investigation found that Google did not process location information lawfully, fairly and transparently in certain services, including Web & App Activity and Location History.
Regulators also examined Google’s Location Accuracy feature in the Android operating system. Location data collected through these services can reveal information about where individuals live, work and travel.
The Irish regulator said the investigation examined Google’s practices from the introduction of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation in 2018 until February 2020.
Ireland is the lead privacy regulator for Google in the European Union because the company’s European headquarters is located in Dublin.
Google said the case concerned historical policies that had since been updated. The company said that from 2019 onwards it had significantly changed its practices and introduced tools to make it easier for users to manage location data.
The Irish regulator said location information can provide significant benefits to users but can also reveal highly private details about individuals.
The latest penalty is the fourth-largest privacy fine imposed by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, which continues to have three other privacy investigations involving Google.