Ireland fines Google 403 million euros over Android location tracking

Ireland's Data Protection Commission has fined Google 403 million euros following an investigation into the company's location tracking practices on Android devices.

The regulatory authority determined that Google violated the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation between May 2018 and February 2020 by processing user location data without sufficient consent or adequate transparency. The decision follows joint complaints submitted in 2018 by several European consumer protection organizations, including consumer councils in Norway and Sweden.

The penalty ranks among the largest fines imposed under GDPR enforcement to date. Consumer rights representatives hailed the enforcement action as a key development for privacy protection across the EU. Google has not yet publicly stated whether it plans to challenge the regulator's ruling.

Sources: Der Spiegel, Der Standard, NRK, Sweden Herald, Sydsvenskan