Italy’s competition watchdog has opened an investigation into Google and its parent company Alphabet over suspected “unfair commercial practices” linked to user data consent requests sent to consumers.
The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) made this known in a statement issued on Thursday, July 18, 2024.
The statement said, “The request for consent that Google submits to its users to the linking of the services offered may constitute a misleading and aggressive commercial practice.
“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,” it said.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The US tech giant requests consent from users to aggregate and use their personal data across its different services, including Google’s search engine, Maps service, and YouTube, among others.
However, the watchdog noted that the consent request provides little or no clear information regarding the actual impact of consenting on Google’s use of users’ personal data.
The watchdog accused Google of employing techniques and methods in requesting consent, as well as setting up mechanisms for obtaining consent, which could potentially limit the freedom of choice for the average consumer.
In 2021, the watchdog imposed fines of 10 million euros ($10.9 million) each on Google and its rival Apple for insufficiently informing users and employing “aggressive methods” in utilizing their data for commercial purposes.
It criticized both companies for failing to provide clear and immediate information on how user data was acquired and utilized.
Additionally, in May 2021, the authority fined Google more than 100 million euros ($109 million) for abusing its dominant market position by excluding a rival’s smartphone app for electric vehicle users.