Ireland’s Data Protection Commission fined Alphabet’s Google €403 million (about $463 million) following an investigation into how the company processed users’ location data.
Investigation began in 2020
The commission began its investigation in 2020 following complaints from several European consumer rights organizations about Google’s handling of location data linked to some of its services and products.
The commission said Google may have left some users unaware that their location data was being used, including to target advertisements or infer their interests.
Concerns over users’ control of their data
Graham Doyle, Ireland’s deputy data protection commissioner, said Google’s practices could lead individuals to lose control of their personal data, adding that retaining location data for longer than necessary had compounded the problem.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the decision.
Ireland’s fourth-largest fine
The fine is the fourth-largest financial penalty imposed by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, the European Union’s lead regulator for most major U.S. internet companies because they have their European operations in Ireland.
