Google’s struggles in Europe continue.
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Google said on Thursday it would appeal a huge fine imposed by the French government for violating new EU-wide privacy rules.
The French privacy regulator said earlier this week that it was fining the internet giant 50 million euros (about $57 million) for not properly disclosing to users how their data was collected and passed to advertisers. The fine was imposed under the General Data Protection Regulation, a sweeping new Europe-wide internet privacy law that came into effect in May 2018.
GDPR incorporates a bunch of different rules, but one section focuses on greater transparency for users about exactly how their data is being used and who it is shared with. It also requires companies to make this information easy to find and comprehend in an effort to demystify confusing privacy agreements users are often required to click on in order to use online services.
It’s these rules in particular that the French regulator accused Google of breaking, but the company is contesting the decision.
“We’ve worked hard to create a GDPR consent process for personalised ads that is as transparent and straightforward as possible, based on regulatory guidance and user experience testing,” said a Google spokesman in a statement. “We’re also concerned about the impact of this ruling on publishers, original content creators and tech companies in Europe and beyond. For all these reasons, we’ve now decided to appeal.”
Google is no stranger to being fined under EU laws. It’s currently awaiting the outcome of a third antitrust investigation, after being slapped with a $5 billion fine last year for anticompetitive Android practices and a $2.7 billion fine in 2017 over Google Shopping. The latest fine might be a fraction of those penalties, but is currently the largest fine to be issued so far for GDPR violations.