Antitrust opens investigation into Google for unfair business practices

The Competition and Market Authority has opened an investigation procedure against Google and its parent company Alphabet regarding the sending of the request to users for consent to the “connection” of the services offered. Indeed, this request does not seem to provide relevant information – or would provide incomplete and imprecise information – regarding the actual effect that the consent produces on Google’s use of users’ personal data. The same critical questions would arise regarding the variety and quantity of Google services, in respect of which a “combined” and “cross” use of personal data can take place, and regarding the possibility of modulating (and therefore also limiting) consent to certain services only.

Furthermore, according to the Authority, Google would use techniques and methods of presenting the request for consent, as well as of constructing the mechanisms for collecting the consent itself, which could influence the freedom of choice of the average consumer. The customer would in fact be encouraged to make a commercial decision that he would not have adopted otherwise, by consenting to the combined and cross-use of his personal data between the plurality of services offered.