Google fined €403 million in Ireland over location data practices

The Irish regulator found that Google failed to process location data in a lawful, fair and transparent manner, potentially leaving users unaware of how information about their whereabouts was being used.

The investigation covered Google's practices between May 2018 and February 2020 and examined location settings in services including Google Search and Google Maps, as well as location accuracy features on Android devices.

According to the Data Protection Commission, users could have been unaware that their location data was being used to target them with advertising or infer their interests.

“The retention of users' location data for longer than necessary aggravated this loss of control,” DPC Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle said.

The investigation was launched in February 2020 after complaints from several European consumer rights organizations about Google's handling of location data.

The commission found that Google had infringed the EU's General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR. It imposed fines totaling €403 million and ordered the company to bring its data processing practices into compliance within six months.

Google said the case concerned policies that have since been changed.

“From 2019 onwards, we've significantly evolved our practices and launched robust tools that make managing location data simple,” a company spokesperson said.

Google pointed to changes including automatic deletion settings, tools for managing advertising and greater transparency about how data is used.

The company is expected to appeal the decision, according to RTÉ.