Italy launches antitrust investigation against Google for unfair practices

Italy has opened 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 giant of unfair business practices, including misleading consumers. If found guilty, the company could pay a fine of up to 10 million euros (about $10.9 million). Google says it will cooperate with authorities.

Google faces antitrust investigation in Italy

According to Italy’s competition agency, Google has resorted to unfair business practices to benefit itself in the country. Among other things, the government agency overseeing consumer rights accused the company of misleading consumers with incomplete information about how it uses their data. The AGCM said Google’s request for permission to bundle multiple services “may constitute a misleading and aggressive commercial practice.”

The search giant allegedly provides users with “incomplete and misleading” information that does not properly explain how consent may affect the use of their personal data. The Italian watchdog found that Google does not give users freedom of choice when sending consent requests. According to Reuters, the company limits user choice “by making them consent to the combined use of personal data across Google services.”

“Indeed, it appears to be accompanied by insufficient, incomplete and misleading information and may affect the choice of whether and to what extent consent should be granted,” the AGCM said in its official complaint about Google’s consent requests. The company offers a wide range of online products, including YouTube, Gmail, Maps and Search. It requires users to consent to the aggregation and use of their personal data across all of its products.

The AGCM also accused Google of using “techniques and methods to request consent, as well as creating mechanisms for obtaining consent itself, which could condition the freedom of choice of the average consumer.” If the investigation finds that the company has violated Italian consumer law, it could face fines ranging from €5,000 to €10 million. Google said it would “analyze the details” of the case and “cooperate with the authority.”

Italy has already imposed a fine on the internet giant.

This is not the first antitrust case against Google in Italy. The AGCM has previously fined the internet giant. In 2021, the Italian watchdog fined Google and Apple €10 million for similar violations. It found that the companies failed to adequately inform users about how they were using their data for commercial purposes. The AGCM also fined Google €102 million for wrongly excluding the JuicePass electric vehicle charging station finder from Android Auto.