Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) fines Google €403 million over how it processes users’ location data. The regulator concludes that Google breaches GDPR requirements related to how it handles location information used in features such as Web & App Activity and Location History.
The DPC says the issue centres on lawfulness, fairness, and transparency, including whether users are properly informed about the processing of their location data. According to the regulator, as a result of these failures, individuals may not be aware their location data can be used to influence advertising or to infer interests, and they may not have sufficient control over their personal data.
Outlets report that the case is driven by complaints from multiple European consumer organisations. While coverage focuses on the size of the fine and its implications for ad targeting and interest inference, all accounts attribute the decision to the DPC and tie it to specific location-data processing practices involving Google’s activity and location history settings.
