Italy’s competition watchdog, AGCM, has launched a probe into Google and its parent company, Alphabet, over suspected unfair commercial practices related to user data consent requests.
The investigation is focused on whether Google’s consent requests are misleading and aggressive, and if they provide adequate information to users.
According to the watchdog, Google’s consent requests may be accompanied by “inadequate, incomplete, and misleading information” that could influence users’ decisions on whether and how much consent to give. Google requests consent to aggregate and use personal data across its services, including search, Maps, and YouTube, but the watchdog alleges that the consent request provides little clear information on how consent affects Google’s use of personal data.
This is not the first time Google has faced scrutiny in Italy. In 2021, it was fined €10 million for failing to provide enough information to users and using aggressive methods for commercial purposes. Additionally, Google was hit with a €100 million fine in May 2021 for abusing its market dominance by shutting out a rival app for electric vehicle users.
“The request for consent that Google submits to its users may constitute a misleading and aggressive commercial practice,” the AGCM competition authority said in a statement.
