Ireland launches inquiry into Google's processing of location data (updated)
04/02/2020 12:35
(Adds detail of probe, background on Irish regulator)
DUBLIN, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Google's main regulator in the
European Union, Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner (DPC),
has launched an inquiry into the company's processing of
location data, the DPC said on Tuesday.
"The inquiry will set out to establish whether Google has a
valid legal basis for processing the location data of its users
and whether it meets its obligations as a data controller with
regard to transparency," the commission said in a statement https://www.dataprotection.ie/en/data-protection-commission-launches-statutory-inquiry-googles-processing-location-data-and.
The DPC is the EU's lead data regulator for a number of
large U.S. technology firms which have headquarters in Ireland
under the EU's General Data Protection Regulation's (GDPR) "One
Stop Shop" regime.
Those rules give regulators the power to impose fines for
violations of up to 4% of a company's global revenue or 20
million euros ($22 million), whichever is higher.
The DPC said it had "received a number of complaints from
various consumer organisations across the EU, in which concerns
were raised with regard to Google's processing of location
data."
In May it opened its first investigation into Alphabet Inc's
GOOGL.O Google over how it handles personal data for the
purpose of advertising.
The DPC has more than 20 large-scale investigations under
way into multinational technology firms, including Twitter
TWTR.N , LinkedIn MSFT.O , Apple 2788.T and Facebook FB.O .
(Reporting by Ambhini Aishwarya in Bengaluru and Conor
Humphries in Dublin; editing by Arun Koyyur and Jason Neely)
((Ambhini.Aishwarya@thomsonreuters.com; within U.S.+1 646 223
8780; outside U.S. +91 80 6749 0543;))