Google: Italian antitrust authority attacks Google for using personal data

Italy’s antitrust agency said Thursday it has opened an investigation into online search giant Google and its parent company Alphabet over alleged unfair commercial practices involving users’ personal data. The consent request that Google sends to its users to connect its multiple services “may constitute a misleading and aggressive commercial practice,” the watchdog said.

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The antitrust authority, which oversees consumer rights, added that this “incomplete and misleading” information provided to users does not explain what impact their consent may have on the use of their personal data.

Google offers a wide range of online tools, including the YouTube video platform, Gmail email service, and Maps.

The antitrust authority found that Google had presented its consent request to users in a way that could limit their freedom of choice by prompting them to consent to the combined use of personal data by different Google services.

“We will review the details of this matter and cooperate with authorities,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement.

Under Italian law, companies that violate consumer rights laws can be fined between €5,000 and €10 million.