Irish watchdog fines Google over tracking
Google fined more than €400m by Irish regulator over its use of location data
Tuesday, 22 September 2026
Warm-up
- When did you last change a phone privacy setting? Why?
- What benefits do you get from location-based services?
- Which tech firms, if any, do you trust with your data?
Vocabulary
- regulator
- an authority that sets and enforces rules in a sector
- manipulate
- to influence someone unfairly so they choose something they would not
- infer
- to reach a conclusion from clues rather than explicit statements
- geolocation
- finding a device’s position using digital signals
- surveillance
- close monitoring of people or behaviour, often by organisations
- compliance
- the act of following a law, rule or official order
- enforcement
- actions that ensure rules are obeyed, including penalties
- spokesperson
- a person who officially speaks for an organisation
Reading
It was Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) that fined Google €403m for how it processed users’ location data, after complaints from seven European consumer groups that the company manipulated people into constant phone tracking. The inquiry began with 2018 research by Norway’s consumer agency suggesting geolocation can expose private facts such as religion, political leanings, hospital visits and sexual orientation.
After a six-year investigation, the DPC said users could have been unaware their location was used to target adverts or to infer their interests and health. The watchdog examined “web and app activity”, “location history” and “location accuracy” between 25 May 2018 and 4 February 2020, and ordered compliance with the EU’s GDPR within six months. BEUC, the European Consumer Organisation, called geolocation one of the most invasive forms of consumer surveillance and warned that late enforcement weakens protection.
A Google spokesperson said the ruling concerns historical policies and that, from 2019, the firm launched tools making location controls simpler. It was the Irish regulator that also fined Meta €1.2bn, TikTok €530m and Instagram €405m, reflecting its EU-wide role over US tech firms headquartered in Ireland.
Comprehension
- Who imposed the fine and how much was it?
- What sparked the DPC inquiry back in 2018?
- What did the DPC say users might not have realised?
- Which data features did the DPC examine and what deadline did it set?
- Name one other company previously fined by the Irish regulator.
Grammar focus
Adding emphasis - cleft sentences
Use a cleft (It + be + X + that/who) to emphasise X. The cleft highlights one part of the sentence for focus. (Examples constructed.)
- It was Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) that fined Google €403m.
- It was geolocation that exposed private facts such as religion and hospital visits.
Grammar exercise
Circle the correct option in each sentence.
- It was consumer groups (that / what) raised complaints in Europe.
- It was the firm (who / that) launched tools to simplify controls in 2019.
- It was the investigation (that / what) began with Norway's research.
- It was location accuracy (what / that) the watchdog examined.
- It was BEUC (that / who) warned about invasive surveillance.
Discussion
- Are large fines enough to change big tech behaviour? Why or why not?
- When does helpful location data become invasive surveillance?
- Should regulators act faster even if cases are complex?
- How much control do users really have over tracking settings?
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