Google, Tinder Being Probed Over Use of Data in EU by Irish Regulator

Silicon Valley giants Google and Tinder are under investigation over the processing of European users' data, regulators in Ireland, where both have their regional bases, announced Tuesday.

The Data Protection Commission (DPC) said it had received complaints from various European consumer associations about the lack of transparency in data processing.

It said its inquiry will set out to establish whether Google and Tinder have "a valid legal basis for processing" user data, and whether they meet their "obligations as a data controller with regard to transparency.".

MTCH Technology Services, the corporate name for matchmaking app Tinder, was in the spotlight over "possible systemic data protection issues".

For Google, the DPC said it had received complaints over its "processing of location data".

It is the responsibility of Ireland's regulators to ensure compliance with the European General Data Protection Regulation, as both companies' European headquarters are in the country.

Google told AFP it will "cooperate fully" with the investigation, and says it will 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," it said in a statement.

Google has separately been under DPC investigation since May over data protection in the field of online advertising.

The location data case was launched after Google's parent company Alphabet released mixed financial results for the last quarter of 2019 on Monday evening, causing its share price to fall.

Alphabet and Google chief executive Sundar Pichai has detailed four priority areas for 2020, including improving the privacy and security of users.

© Thomson Reuters 2020