Google slapped with $1.2 million fine for breaking privacy laws

Google is going to sell wireless data plans ‘directly’ to consumers

Google is in trouble once again, and this time it’s not for something nearly as subtle as giant, mysterious barges floating in U.S. waters. Reuters reports that Google is being fined €900,000 ($1.23 million USD) for breaking Spain’s data protection law, the maximum fine possible under the law. Spain’s privacy watchdog started its investigation after Google changed the privacy policies on its cloud-based services without informing users.

“Inspections have shown that Google compiles personal information through close to one hundred services and products it offers in Spain, without providing in many cases the adequate information about the data that is being gathered, why it is gathered and without obtaining the consent of the owners,” said the Spanish Agency for Data Protection in a statement.

This is not the first fine that Google has been asked to pay for a breach of privacy this year. In fact, a Dutch regulator accused Google of breaking a nearly identical law just last month. Google is currently working with Spain to resolve the issue.

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This article was originally published on BGR.com

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