Google Fined €403 Million By EU Watchdog Over Users’ Location Data, GDPR Privacy Breach

September 22, 2026

Brussels: Google has been fined 403 million euros ($463 million) by the European Union’s privacy regulator for breaching data protection rules in its handling of users’ location data.

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC), which serves as Google’s lead privacy regulator in the EU, said its investigation found that the company had failed to process location data lawfully and fairly through its Web & App Activity and Location History services.

Investigation Examined Google’s Practices Since 2018

The investigation examined Google’s practices from the introduction of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 until February 2020.

Regulators also found that Google had failed to meet requirements of lawfulness, fairness and transparency while processing personal data through its Location Accuracy feature on the Android operating system.

The DPC said location data constitutes personal information that can be used to determine or infer an individual’s whereabouts and can reveal significant details about a person.

Google Says Practices Have Since Been Updated

Google said the case concerned historical policies that had since been changed. The company said it had significantly evolved its practices from 2019 onwards and introduced tools to make it easier for users to manage their location data.

The latest penalty is the fourth-largest privacy fine imposed by Ireland’s data protection watchdog. The regulator said it currently has three other privacy investigations involving Google underway.