Ireland's Data Protection Commission has fined Google 403 million euros for breaching the European Union's privacy rules. The penalty follows an investigation into how the technology giant processed users' location data between May 2018 and February 2020, violating the General Data Protection Regulation.
The fine comes after complaints from several European consumer rights organizations alleging that Google manipulated users into agreeing to be constantly tracked on their mobile phones. Graham Doyle, deputy commissioner for the Data Protection Commission, stated that individuals could have been unaware that their location was being used to infer their interests or to influence them with targeted advertisements.
This is the fourth largest EU privacy fine issued by the Irish watchdog, which still has three other open probes into Google. While the decision closes a six-year investigation, the European Consumer Organisation criticized the delay in enforcement, suggesting that such a lag can be as harmful as no enforcement at all.