France sanctions Google for breaking privacy rules

France will fine Google more than $400,000 for breaking rules on data privacy. The French agency that regulates information technology says Google hadn't satisfactorily responded to its June decision giving Google three months to be more upfront about the data it collects from users. Regulators also want Google to let users opt out of having their data centralized -- for example, when data from online searches, Gmail and YouTube are crunched into a single location.

France’s National Commission on Computing and Freedom, known as CNIL, said Google hasn't made requested changes, including specifying to users what it uses personal data for, and how long it's held. CNIL said it will now launch formal sanction proceedings, a process that could take months.