Google has received a €403 million fine from the Irish regulator over the covert collection and prolonged retention of users’ location data. The tech giant was ordered to bring its policies into compliance with European regulations within six months. This was reported by RTE, writes UNN.
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Ireland’s Data Protection Commission said its investigation into Google had uncovered violations in this matter. This means that people may not have known that their location was being used, for example, to show them advertisements or determine their interests, and may have lost control over their personal data.
Retaining users’ location data for longer than necessary exacerbated this loss of control. Location data is a type of personal data processed by tracking geolocation, and it includes data collected or processed by Google from which a person’s location can be determined, either on its own or in combination with other information
The DPC said that geolocation data can bring both benefits and harm to people.
They can significantly improve the convenience of online services, but they can also reveal a considerable amount of information about an individual, including information that is strictly private
The DPC began its investigation in February 2020 after receiving complaints from several European consumer protection organisations concerning Google’s processing of location data in connection with certain services and products.
The decision, adopted by Data Protection Commissioners Dr Des Hogan, Dale Sunderland and Niamh Sweeney, stated that Google had violated the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The DPC imposed fines totalling €403 million and ordered Google to bring its data-processing activities into compliance with the requirements within six months.
In its statement, Google said that the case concerned an outdated policy that had since been updated.