Google, Tinder under investigation in Ireland over data processing

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has launched investigations into the way Google and Tinder process user data.
The regulator said it decided to look into how Google handles location data, after receiving a number of complaints by consumer groups across the European Union. It, therefore, opened an investigation into Google’s Irish subsidiary to determine whether it “has a legal basis for processing the location data of its users” and whether it meets transparency obligations under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation.
Google said that it “will cooperate fully with the office of the Data Protection Commission in its inquiry, and continue to work closely with regulators and consumer associations across Europe”. “In the last year, we have made a number of product changes to improve the level of user transparency and control over location data”, the company said.
The commission is also investigating the GDPR compliance of dating app Tinder after concerns sparked about issues surrounding its “ongoing processing of users’ personal data”.
“Transparency and protecting our users’ personal data is of utmost importance to us. We are fully cooperating with the Data Protection Commission, and will continue to abide by GDPR and all applicable laws”, Tinder’s parent company, Match Group, said.
If Google and Tinder are found to not have been fully compliant with GDPR, they could face fines of up to 4% of their total annual revenue in the previous year.