Google Fined Almost $57 Million by French Regulators Over Data-Privacy Violations

Google was fined almost $57 million on Monday by French regulators who claimed the company was in violation of Europe’s new data-privacy rules, The Washington Post reports. France’s top data-privacy agency said Google failed to “fully disclose to users how their personal information is collected and what happens to it” after investigating the company since May 2018, when Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation rules came into effect. The agency, known as CNIL, also claimed the company did not obtain users’ consent in order to show them personalized internet ads. CNIL said Google’s violations deprived users of “essential guarantees” regarding data that could “reveal important parts of their private life.” Google told the Post they are “studying” CNIL’s decision to determine their next move. “People expect high standards of transparency and control from us. We’re deeply committed to meeting those expectations and the consent requirements of the GDPR,” the company said.