Ireland fines Google 403 million euros over location data

Ireland's Data Protection Commission has fined Google €403 million for infringements of the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation related to the processing of user location data. The penalty, announced on September 21, 2026, follows a six-year investigation into how the tech giant handled location information across several of its services. The DPC found that Google failed to process location data lawfully and fairly, and did not meet its transparency and accountability obligations. The investigation focused on three specific features: Web App Activity, Location History, and Location Accuracy. The violations covered the period from May 25, 2018, when the GDPR came into force, to February 4, 2020. Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle stated that as a result of these failures, individuals could have been unaware that their location was being used to influence them with advertisements or to infer their interests. "The retention of users' location data for longer than necessary aggravated this loss of control," he added. The DPC noted that location data can reveal deeply personal information about an individual.