GoKawiilIreland's DPC fines Google €403M over GDPR location data violations
Ireland's Data Protection Commission fined Google €403 million ($463 million) after a multi-year investigation into how it handled location data through Web & App Activity, Location History, and Location Accuracy features between 2018 and 2020. Regulators found Google failed to meet GDPR transparency and lawfulness requirements and violated data retention rules for two of the three features. Google must bring its location data practices into compliance within six months and says it has already updated its policies since 2019.
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The penalty adds to a growing list of EU enforcement actions against Google, including a $4.7 billion antitrust fine and a separate $1 billion penalty this year, signaling sustained regulatory pressure on the company's data and business practices in Europe. It also underscores how the GDPR continues to shape how major tech firms collect and retain sensitive user data like location history, even years after the alleged violations occurred.
- Google fined €403M ($463M) by Ireland's DPC over location data mishandling from 2018-2020.
- Violations centered on transparency and retention rules across three Google location features.
- Google must fix compliance within six months, adding to its string of EU regulatory penalties.
Source: engadget.com — Kris Holt, 2026-09-21
Published there as: “Google fined $463 million for breaching EU location data rules”
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