Google has been fined €403 million, about $463 million, over its handling of users’ location data. Ireland’s Data Protection Commission announced the Google location data fine on 21 September 2026, covering Web & App Activity, Location History and Location Accuracy as used between May 2018 and February 2020. Google says it will appeal.
What the Regulator Found
The Data Protection Commission, the Irish authority that regulates Google across the European Union because the company’s EU headquarters is in Dublin, found four separate failures. Its published decision sets the penalty at €403 million and orders Google to bring the processing into compliance within six months.
- Lawfulness and fairness: Google could not show it had a valid legal basis for processing location data in the three settings.
- Transparency: Users were not clearly told what was being collected or what it was used for.
- Accountability: Google could not demonstrate that its processing met the standard the General Data Protection Regulation requires.
- Retention: Location data was kept for longer than was necessary.
Graham Doyle, the Commission’s Deputy Commissioner, said the failures meant people “could have been unaware that their location was being used, for example, to influence them with ads or to infer their interests”.
Which Three Settings the Decision Covers
The three settings named in the decision do different jobs, and two of them are not obviously about location at all.
- Web & App Activity: An account-level setting that saves searches and activity in Google services. During the period examined it also captured location signals.
- Location History: The feature that built a map of the places a phone had been. It is now called Timeline.
- Location Accuracy: An Android system feature that improves position fixes by combining GPS with Wi-Fi, mobile networks and sensors.
Why the Case Stops at February 2020
The Commission examined conduct from 25 May 2018, the day the General Data Protection Regulation took effect, to 4 February 2020, the day it opened the inquiry. The investigation then ran for more than six years before the decision was published.
That gap matters when reading the coverage. The findings describe how these settings worked six years ago, not how they work on a phone today.
What Changes for Users Right Now
Nothing changes in your Google account today. The order requires Google to bring its processing into compliance within six months of the decision, and Google has said it intends to appeal.
Google told Reuters the case “centers around historical policies” and that “from 2019 onwards, we’ve significantly evolved our practices and launched robust tools that make managing location data simple”. A Google spokesperson said the company will appeal to obtain greater legal clarity on specific points. As of 23 September 2026, Google has not published the grounds of that appeal, and the Commission has not said what it will accept as compliance.
What Google Already Changed Since 2019
Several of the practices the decision describes were altered before the ruling arrived. The dates below are Google’s own product changes, not remedies ordered by the regulator.
- May 2019: Google introduced auto-delete controls for Location History and Web & App Activity, with three-month and 18-month options.
- June 2020: An 18-month auto-delete became the default for new accounts and for first-time Location History activations.
- December 2023: Google began moving Timeline data onto the phone itself, and set a three-month auto-delete default for newly enabled Location History.
Our earlier report on Google Maps moving Location History off its servers covers that last change in more detail.
How to Check Your Own Location Settings
These steps reflect Google’s current documentation, which is separate from anything the decision requires.
- Open your Google Account and go to Data & privacy, then Activity settings.
- Open Timeline. Google states that Timeline “is off by default” and can be switched on or off at the top of that page.
- If Timeline is on, Google’s help page says that “your precise device location is regularly saved to your device”, with an optional encrypted backup to Google’s servers for changing phones. That wording is on Google’s manage your Timeline data page.
- Open Web & App Activity separately and set or confirm its auto-delete period.
- On Android, open Settings, then Location, then Location services to review Location Accuracy.
Google warns that turning Timeline off does not clear everything: if Web & App Activity or Search history remain on, some location data is still saved. Our guide to Google My Activity explains where that data sits.
How the Fine Compares
At €403 million, this is the fourth largest penalty the Irish Commission has issued since the General Data Protection Regulation took effect.
| Company | Fine | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Meta | €1.2 billion | 2023 |
| TikTok | €530 million | 2025 |
| €405 million | 2022 | |
| €403 million | 2026 |
The Commission has issued several of the largest penalties under the regulation, including the case that required Meta to halt certain EU to US data transfers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Is the Google Location Data Fine?
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission fined Google €403 million, about $463 million, on 21 September 2026.
Does the Google Location Data Fine Change My Phone Settings?
No. The decision orders Google to bring its processing into compliance within six months. Nothing in your Android or Google account settings changes as a result of the ruling itself.
Which Period Did the Investigation Cover?
The Commission examined conduct from 25 May 2018, when the General Data Protection Regulation took effect, to 4 February 2020, when the inquiry was opened.
Is Google Appealing the Fine?
Google has said it intends to appeal in order to obtain greater legal clarity on specific points. As of 23 September 2026 it has not published the grounds.
How Do I Stop Google Saving My Location?
Turn Timeline off in your Google Account’s activity settings, and separately turn off or auto-delete Web & App Activity. Google notes that switching Timeline off alone may leave other location data saved.
