France data watchdog has imposed a hefty fine of 50 million Euros on Google for making it difficult to users to understand and manage preferences on how their personal information is being used and how they are being targeted by ads.
CNIL or the National Commission on Informatics and Liberty is said to have imposed the penalty after taking the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) into consideration and highlighted the fact that Google completely failed to provide transparent and easily accessible information on its data consent policies.
Google reacted to the penalty by saying that it will abide by the laws prevailing in France and will do its best to meet the consent requirements of the GDPR.
Cybersecurity Insiders learned that France pronounced the latest statement after reviewing and precisely analyzing petitions filed by Australian privacy activist Max Schrems- ‘None of your Business’ and another filed by France’s Quadrature Du Net Groups signed by over 10,000 signatories.
Note- Max Schrems is the same guy who accused the internet juggernaut of securing forced consent from its users through its Android mobile operating software and its apps which threaten not to allow access to services unless consent is made.
Furthermore, the data watchdog is also intending to tighten rules for twitter and facebook to conduct operations in its region. As reports are flooding in that the two social media giants are learning on private information of web users even if they do not have an account on their respective platforms.
Highly placed sources say that the penalty imposed on Facebook will be much larger than any other company which faced to date.
