Google fined €403 million over location data

TDT | Manama

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Google has been fined €403 million by Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) over how it handled users' location data, in one of the largest major privacy actions against a technology giant.

The DPC found that Google breached the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in its processing of location information between May 2018 and February 2020. The investigation focused on three features: Web & App Activity, Location History and Location Accuracy.

According to the regulator, Google's practices were not sufficiently lawful, fair or transparent. It said users could have been unaware that their location information was being used to infer interests for advertising.

The DPC also found problems with how long some location data was retained. Google said the case relates to older policies and that it has since introduced changes, including stronger user controls, automatic deletion options and less precise location storage. The company must bring the relevant processing into compliance within six months.

The case highlights a growing privacy question: how much control do users really have over the location data their devices generate?