Zhong Guo Ji Jin Bao·2025-09-04 03:27Core Points - Google has been fined €325 million (approximately ¥2.7 billion) by the French National Commission on Informatics and Liberty (CNIL) for displaying ads to Gmail users without their consent [1][2][3] - The fine is due to violations of French data protection laws, specifically regarding the use of cookies and the display of ads in Gmail without obtaining valid consent from users [3][4] - The CNIL's decision is influenced by the large number of affected users, with 74 million accounts involved in cookie violations and 53 million accounts receiving ads without consent [4] Company Response - A Google spokesperson stated that users have control over the ads they see and that the company is evaluating the CNIL's penalty [4] - The spokesperson also mentioned improvements made in the past two years, including a one-click option to refuse personalized ads during account creation [4] Legal Issues in the U.S. - A U.S. jury found that Google violated the privacy rights of nearly 100 million users, requiring the company to pay $425 million in collective lawsuit damages [4] - The jury determined that Google misled users regarding privacy settings, allowing data collection even when users opted out [4] Market Reaction - On the same day as the fine announcement, Google's stock price surged over 9%, resulting in a market value increase of $234 billion, reaching a total market capitalization of $2.79 trillion [5] - Analysts view the court ruling favorably for Google, suggesting that the company can now focus on its fundamentals without regulatory distractions [6]