Italy’s antitrust agency announced on Thursday the initiation of an investigation into Google and its parent company Alphabet, citing alleged unfair commercial practices related to users’ personal data.

According to Reuters, the watchdog stated that Google’s consent request for connecting its various services “could constitute misleading and aggressive commercial practice.” The antitrust authority, responsible for overseeing consumer rights, emphasized that the “incomplete and misleading” information provided to users does not sufficiently clarify the impact of their consent on the usage of their personal data.

Google, a dominant player in the online services market, offers a plethora of tools including the video platform YouTube, the email service Gmail, and Maps. Italy’s antitrust body argued that the manner in which Google presents its consent request could restrict users’ freedom of choice, effectively pushing them to agree to a combined usage of their personal data across different Google services.

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“We will analyse the details of this case and will work cooperatively with the authority,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement, Reuters reports.

Under Italian law, companies found guilty of violating consumer rights regulations face fines ranging from 5,000 euros to 10 million euros.

According to Reuters, this investigation highlights ongoing global scrutiny over how tech giants handle user data, with regulators increasingly taking action to ensure consumer rights are upheld.

Source: Reuters