Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has fined Google GOOG 1.59%↑ 403 million euros (about $462 million) for mishandling users’ location data in violation of the European Union’s strict privacy rules, the agency announced Monday.
The decision followed an investigation into how Google processed location information through features including Web & App Activity, Location History and Location Accuracy on Android devices between 2018 and 2020. Regulators found the company failed to process the data in a lawful, fair and transparent manner and retained it longer than necessary, potentially allowing the information to influence advertising or infer users’ interests without adequate control.
The inquiry began after complaints from European consumer organizations coordinated by the European Consumer Organisation. Ireland serves as Google’s lead privacy regulator in the EU because the company’s European headquarters is in Dublin. The commission ordered Google to bring its practices into compliance within six months; the company said the case involves historical policies it has since updated and indicated it plans to appeal.
Similar disputes over Google’s location tracking have played out in the United States. Texas secured a $1.375 billion settlement with the company in 2025 resolving claims that included allegations Google tracked users’ movements even when Location History appeared disabled, along with related privacy issues involving biometrics and Incognito mode. Other state and private lawsuits in the U.S. have also targeted the company’s collection and use of precise location data.
The European fine ranks among the larger penalties issued under the bloc’s General Data Protection Regulation and underscores ongoing regulatory scrutiny of how major technology companies handle sensitive location information on both sides of the Atlantic.
Google Fined $462 Million in Europe Over Location Data Practices
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has fined Google GOOG 1.59%↑ 403 million euros (about $462 million) for mishandling users’ location data in violation of the European Union’s strict privacy rules, the agency announced Monday.
The decision followed an investigation into how Google processed location information through features including Web & App Activity, Location History and Location Accuracy on Android devices between 2018 and 2020. Regulators found the company failed to process the data in a lawful, fair and transparent manner and retained it longer than necessary, potentially allowing the information to influence advertising or infer users’ interests without adequate control.
The inquiry began after complaints from European consumer organizations coordinated by the European Consumer Organisation. Ireland serves as Google’s lead privacy regulator in the EU because the company’s European headquarters is in Dublin. The commission ordered Google to bring its practices into compliance within six months; the company said the case involves historical policies it has since updated and indicated it plans to appeal.
Similar disputes over Google’s location tracking have played out in the United States. Texas secured a $1.375 billion settlement with the company in 2025 resolving claims that included allegations Google tracked users’ movements even when Location History appeared disabled, along with related privacy issues involving biometrics and Incognito mode. Other state and private lawsuits in the U.S. have also targeted the company’s collection and use of precise location data.
The European fine ranks among the larger penalties issued under the bloc’s General Data Protection Regulation and underscores ongoing regulatory scrutiny of how major technology companies handle sensitive location information on both sides of the Atlantic.
 for mishandling users’ location data in violation of the European Union’s strict privacy rules, the agency announced Monday.){kind=link}