By Emily Poole
Google has just been hit with a €900,000 ($1.2 million USD) fine, the maximum amount possible for violation of Spain’s data protection law. Google was found guilty of three distinct violations: (1) collecting users’ data, (2) combining users’ data from a variety of its services and (3) storing the data indefinitely, all without properly informing its users or obtaining consent.
Last year, privacy watchdogs from the 28 EU member states contacted Google, urging the company to amend its privacy policies to better align with the EU’s data protection principles. It appears that Google didn’t take the hint, however, as none of its privacy policies were revised after the notice.
Google has since responded in a written statement that the company is working with the Spanish authority to determine the next steps toward creating a privacy framework that will pass termpapersworld muster under Spanish law. Perhaps this week’s fine finally hit a nerve, though it’s more likely negative media attention is what actually struck a cord . . . what’s $1.2 million to a multi BILLION dollar conglomerate?
In the coming year, Google could also face fines in five other EU nations for similar privacy violations.
