Italy has launched an antitrust investigation into Google and its parent company Alphabet. The Italian Competition Authority (Autorita Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato or AGCM) has accused the tech titan of unfair business practices, including misleading its consumers. If found guilty, the company faces a fine of up to €10 million (approx. $10.9 million). Google says it will cooperate with the authorities.
Google faces antitrust investigation in Italy
According to Italy’s competition agency, Google resorted to unfair business practices for its benefit in the country. Among other things, the government agency overseeing consumer rights accused the company of misleading its consumers with incomplete information about how it uses their data. AGCM said Google’s request for consent for users to connect its multiple services “could constitute misleading and aggressive commercial practice.”
The search giant allegedly provides users with “incomplete and misleading” information that doesn’t properly clarify how the consent may impact the use of their personal data. The Italian watchdog said Google doesn’t give users freedom of choice when sending requests for consent. As reported by Reuters, the company limits users’ choices “by inducing them to agree to a combined usage of personal data by different Google services.”
“Indeed, it appears to be accompanied by inadequate, incomplete and misleading information and it could influence the choice of whether and to what extent consent should be given,” AGCM’s official complaint says about Google’s consent requests. The company offers a wide range of online products, including YouTube, Gmail, Maps, and a search engine. It requests consent from users to aggregate and use their personal data across all products.
AGCM also accused Google of using “techniques and methods for requesting consent, and also for setting up the mechanisms for obtaining consent itself, which could condition the freedom of choice of the average consumer”. If the investigation finds the company breaching Italy’s consumer rights rules, it faces fines ranging from €5,000 to €10 million. Google said it will “analyze the details” of the case and “work cooperatively with the authority.”
Italy has previously fined the internet giant
This isn’t the first antitrust case against Google in Italy. AGCM has previously fined the internet giant. In 2021, the Italian watchdog fined Google and Apple €10 million each for similar violations. It said the firms failed to properly inform users about how they use their data for commercial purposes. AGCM also fined Google €102 million for unfairly barring EV (electric vehicle) charging station finder JuicePass from Android Auto.
2024-07-19 15:09:12