Google has received a fine exceeding €400m (£345m) from Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) concerning its methods for processing users' location data. The DPC's decision follows complaints from several European consumer organisations, which alleged that Google was tracking users' movements extensively.
The DPC's inquiry, launched six years ago, investigated whether Google had a valid legal basis for its use of location data. It concluded that Google users might not have been aware their location was being used to influence them with advertisements or to gather details about their health and interests.
Graham Doyle, a deputy commissioner at the DPC, stated that location data can reveal significant, inherently private information about an individual. The DPC has ordered Google to bring its data processing into compliance with the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) within six months. This is the fourth-largest fine imposed by the Irish regulator, which oversees US tech giants with EU headquarters in Ireland.