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Google fined $463M in EU over location data privacy breach
Published : Tuesday, 22 September, 2026 at 6:09 PM
Observer Online Report
Google has been fined $463 million by the European Union for violating privacy rules over its handling of users’ location data.
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC), the company’s lead privacy regulator in the EU, announced the fine on Monday following a six-year investigation.
The watchdog found that Google had unlawfully and unfairly processed location data through its Web & App Activity setting, which tracks users’ browsing and search history, and Location History, which records places visited by users’ mobile devices.
Regulators also found Google failed to process personal data lawfully, fairly and transparently through its Location Accuracy feature on Android devices.
The investigation examined Google’s practices between the introduction of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 and February 2020.
Google said the case concerned “historical policies” that had since been updated.
“From 2019 onwards, we’ve significantly evolved our practices and launched robust tools that make managing location data simple,” the company said in a statement.
DPC Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle said location data can provide benefits to users but can also reveal significant amounts of private information about individuals.
The fine is the fourth-largest privacy penalty imposed by the Irish watchdog. The DPC has previously issued larger fines against TikTok and Meta, including a €1.2 billion penalty against Meta.
The regulator said three other privacy investigations involving Google are still ongoing.
- MaT
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
