Ireland's DPC Levies €403M Fine on Google for Unlawful Location Data Processing 2018-2020
The €403 million penalty exposes systemic consent failures in Google’s location services over a 21-month GDPR enforcement window. Evidence from the DPC decision and prior warnings shows compliance followed enforcement rather than internal risk assessment. Ongoing cases signal continued regulatory pressure on the same data practices.
Three additional Google probes remain active at the DPC, focusing on advertising personalization and data transfers. Google’s statement that practices evolved after 2019 aligns with public UI changes but does not address whether historical datasets were purged or re-consented. Expect appeals to the Irish High Court within the standard 60-day window, likely testing the DPC’s calculation of “lawful basis” rather than the fine amount itself.
DPC: Google files appeal by November 2024; court reduces penalty by at least 20% before Q3 2025.
Sources (3)
- [1]Primary Source(https://www.dataprotection.ie/en/news-media/press-releases/data-protection-commission-fines-google-ireland-limited-eu403-million)
- [2]Supporting Source(https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-fined-403-mln-euros-irish-regulator-location-data-2024-09-02/)
- [3]Supporting Source(https://www.iccl.ie/news/google-fine-2024/)