EU regulator launches probe into Google over data privacy
EU regulator launches probe into Google over data privacy
·
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission says its
probe will examine whether Google’s processing of data in advertising
transactions breaches EU privacy rules.
·
Google was fined 50 million euros earlier this
year by France’s privacy regulator, in the first penalty for a U.S. tech giant
since the EU’s GDPR law was introduced.
Ryan Browne May 22, 2019
Ireland’s data privacy watchdog on Wednesday announced
the launch of an inquiry into Google over the tech giant’s collection of data
when it comes to online advertising.
The Data Protection Commission, which acts as the lead
supervisory authority for Google in the European Union, said its probe would
examine whether Google’s processing of data in advertising transactions
breaches the bloc’s privacy rules.
“A statutory inquiry pursuant to section 110 of the Data
Protection Act 2018 has been commenced in respect of Google Ireland Limited’s
processing of personal data in the context of its online Ad Exchange,” the
regulator said in a statement Wednesday.
Brussels last year introduced sweeping new privacy
reforms known as the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, which gave
Europeans new powers in how they can control their data. Such powers include
the right to find out how companies use their data, as well as the ability to
force firms to destroy their data.
It comes as tech companies face heightened regulatory
scrutiny worldwide over everything from hateful content to data protection.
Last year saw Facebook in particular hit with much criticism over how it
allowed controversial political consultancy Cambridge Analytica to get access to
the data of 87 million users.
Meanwhile, Google was fined 50 million euros ($56
million) earlier this year by France’s privacy regulator, in the first penalty
for a U.S. tech giant since the EU’s GDPR law was introduced.
The launch of Ireland’s inquiry into Google comes days
before the first anniversary of GDPR, which came into effect on May 25, 2018.
- CNBC’s Elizabeth Schulze contributed to this report.
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