Google fined $462 million after regulators uncover problems with a familiar feature

Ireland's Data Protection Commission has levied a hefty $462 million fine against tech giant Google for mishandling location data, marking one of the largest penalties ever issued by the European Union watchdog. The penalty stems from an investigation that began in 2020, revealing Google's breach of EU privacy rules, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The commission demanded Google rectify its location data processing within six months. According to Graham Doyle, deputy commissioner, the company's actions allowed for the unlawful, unfair, and opaque use of personal data, which could have led individuals to unknowingly share their location for ad targeting or interest inference without control.

Google spokesperson affirmed that the case pertains to outdated policies, stating they have significantly revamped their practices since 2019, introducing tools for easy location data management. However, this isn't Google's first regulatory hit. Recently, a U.S. federal judge mandated several antitrust remedies, a move initiated by the DOJ.

The fine also follows a 2022 class-action lawsuit where Google was ordered to pay $425.7 million to approximately 98 million users for allegedly snooping on smartphone data even after users thought they had disabled data collection. The Irish commission's ruling focused on Google's handling of location data across three user-customized settings—Web & App Activity, Location History, and Location Accuracy—all customizable based on user data.

The investigation covered May 2018 to February 2020. In addition to policy updates, Google has recently enhanced its capabilities for users to control data deletion frequency and disable personalized ads. Despite this fine, Google remains under scrutiny from other ongoing investigations by the Data Protection Commission, including an inquiry into the use of personal data in AI model and system development.