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Google is once again under global scrutiny as courts and regulators impose hefty fines for privacy violations. In the US, a federal jury ordered the tech giant to pay $425 million for illegally tracking smartphone users despite privacy settings, while in France, the CNIL watchdog fined Google €325 million over cookie consent breaches.
The US class-action lawsuit accused Google of intercepting and selling users’ app activity data without permission. Meanwhile, French regulators said Google placed advertising cookies without proper consent, marking the third major penalty against the company in Europe.
Google has denied wrongdoing and plans to appeal both decisions, insisting its tools give users control over their data. However, critics argue the fines highlight the ongoing tension between Google’s ad-driven business model and user privacy rights.
Major Google Privacy Fines
| Country | Fine Amount | Reason |
| United States | $425 million | Tracking app data despite privacy settings |
| France (CNIL) | €325 million | Placing cookies without user consent |
| France (CNIL, 2021) | €150 million | Cookie consent violations |
| France (CNIL, 2020) | €100 million | Cookie consent violations |
These rulings show rising pressure on Big Tech to balance profits with consumer privacy in both the US and Europe.
