France fines Google with 50 million for using personal data

France fines Google with 50 million for using personal data

It is the first EU country to sanction an internet giant with the new European regulation for the protection of private information

  The French data protection authority announced on Monday that it has imposed a record fine of 50 million euros to Google for not having clearly informed its users about its policy of using personal data.

The National Commission of Information and Freedoms (CNIL) announced a sanction against the US giant for " lack of transparency , unsatisfactory information and lack of valid consent" on the use of personal data of its users, according to a statement from the agency.

  According to the CNIL, Google makes it too difficult for users to understand and manage their preferences regarding the use of their personal data, particularly in terms of targeted advertising.

"People expect from us high standards of transparency and control. We are deeply committed to meeting those expectations and the GDPR's consent requirements, "said a Google spokesperson in a statement. "We are studying the decision to determine our next steps," he added.

The CNIL is the first European regulatory body to sanction a global internet platform based on the new European data protection regulation (RGPD), which entered into force on May 25. This new European regulation foresees sanctions of up to 4% of the total annual global turnover due to breach of the obligation to protect the personal data of European citizens.

"We do not deny that Google reports" to its users about the use of their personal data, Mathias Moulin, director of protection of rights and penalties of the CNIL, told AFP. "But the information is not easily accessible and is disseminated in different documents," he said. "Sometimes it takes five clicks to access information," he added, so he concludes that Google does not propose "clear and understandable" information.

The CNIL took this sanction after receiving collective complaints from two associations in May last year, shortly after the entry into force of the European directive. One was presented on behalf of some 10,000 signatories by the French association Quadrature du Net, while the other was presented by None Of Your Business, created by the Austrian activist Max Schrems.

Schrems had accused Google of obtaining "forced consent" by using pop-up boxes online or in its applications.