Google vs. GDPR: the ripple effect of the biggest data protection fine to date

It’s not the first time, nor will it be the last. On 21 January 2019, a business was found guilty of breaching the General Data Protect Regulation (GDPR) and now faces a financial penalty as a result. This is a similar story to what we’ve continually witnessed in the headlines since the implementation of GDPR in May 2018. So why is this case any different? This time, the business in question was Google.

The formula remains the same – company X breaches Y regulation and is therefore fined Z amount. But the fact of the matter is that, in this particular situation, it wasn’t just any company breaching GDPR. It was a tech giant, one whose name is synonymous with using data to provide us with information and optimise our experiences. And it’s not just a standard penalty – it’s £44 million. With such a huge organisation being fined an eye-watering sum of money, the question now isn’t simply what does this mean for Google – but what effect will this have globally?   

• This is everything you need to know about GDPR
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Breaching GDPR

Since its inception in April 2016, GDPR has been the hot topic on almost all business agendas. With just over two years to identify, collate, and effectively store consumer data, businesse