Google fined €50m by French data regulator

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Tech giant's ad personalisation directly violated GDPR

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The French data regulator CNIL has fined Google €50 million ($57m/£44m/AU$79) over how its data collection policies violated the terms of GDPR.

According to CNIL, the regulator decided to levy a record fine against the tech giant for “lack of transparency, inadequate information and lack of valid consent regarding ads personalisation”.

Google's users were not sufficiently informed as to how the company collected data to personalise advertising on its search engine.

The regulator explained that Google had not obtained clear consent to process data in a statement on its site, saying:

“Essential information, such as the data processing purposes, the data storage periods or the categories of personal data used for the ads personalization, are excessively disseminated  across several documents, with buttons and links on which it is required to click to access complementary information. The relevant information is accessible after several steps only, implying sometimes up to 5 or 6 actions.”

CNIL also stressed the fact that the company had failed to obtain a valid legal basis to process user data since the option to personalise ads was “pre-ticked” when creating an account on its site which is in direct violation of GDPR.

Google said that it is studying the regulator's decision to determine its next steps and in a statement the company reaffirmed its commitment to comply with GDPR, saying:

"People expect high standards of transparency and control from us. We're deeply committed to meeting those expectations and the consent requirements of the GDPR." 

Via The BBC

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Anthony Spadafora
Anthony Spadafora

After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.