Tech giant Google said it would appeal the $57 million fine for privacy violations issued by the French data protection authority earlier this week.
“We’ve worked hard to create a GDPR consent process for personalized ads that is as transparent and straightforward as possible, based on regulatory guidance and user experience testing. 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,” a Google spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
The fine, issued by France’s CNIL on Monday, is considered the first major financial penalty on a large technology company since the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation entered into force last May.
The French data protection watchdog said Google had violated EU privacy rules because it did not properly ask its users for consent on how to use their personal data. Google’s challenge before the Council of State — France’s top administrative court — would further define how the tech sector interprets requirements on consent under the GDPR.
