Google fined £345m over use of location data
Google has been fined more than €400m (£345m) by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission over the way it processed users’ location data.2 The action followed complaints from several European consumer organisations that Google was tracking users’ movements through their mobile phones.2 Those complaints alleged that the company was following every step users took.2
The commission examined whether Google’s processing of location data was lawful and fair.1 It also examined Google’s compliance with its accountability obligations under the GDPR.1 The fine was imposed after claims that users had been manipulated into agreeing to constant tracking on their phones.2
The watchdog said users may have been unaware that their location information was used to target adverts.2 It also said the data could be used to infer their interests.2
Check what consent really covers
The immediate UK point is limited. This is an Irish regulator’s action, and no British enforcement action or direct UK regulatory consequence is set out. It does not create a new instruction for your company. It does, however, give a useful test for any business using location data: can you explain, in ordinary language, what is collected, why it is collected, and whether it is used for adverts or to infer interests? Accountability means being able to answer those questions without hunting through several teams and suppliers. That is an operations question before it becomes a regulatory one. A clear record also lets management see whether the data use is still worth the exposure it creates.
If you collect location data, have one named owner trace the process from the phone screen to the final business use. Compare that account with what a customer is told before agreeing. Then test it with someone who did not design the process. If they would be surprised by constant tracking, ad targeting or interest inference, a ticked box is poor comfort. Pause the questionable use until the wording and the actual handling match. Do the same check on outsourced advertising work. A supplier’s settings are still part of the process your customer experiences. The awkward lesson is simple: consent obtained through a screen may still leave the business unable to show that the process was fair.
Also today
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Meta opens UK doors to union recruitment
Meta will give a union access to recruit its UK staff for the first time, ahead of new employment rights due next month.3
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Anthropic and Accenture pledge $2bn for safety checks
Anthropic and Accenture have pledged $2bn and will embed teams within Anthropic to evaluate and assess the safety of advanced AI models.4
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Government names latest evaluation fund projects
The UK government has published summaries of the projects awarded funding in Phase 5 of its Evaluation Accelerator Fund.5
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Orca launches global cloud security partner scheme
Orca Security has launched a global partner programme and platform intended to help partners work more efficiently, build expertise and grow cloud security businesses.6
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Google fined more than €400m by Irish regulator over its use of location data
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Anthropic and Accenture pledge $2bn for embedded AI safety evaluation
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