Italy’s competition watchdog said Thursday that it had opened an investigation into Google and its parent company Alphabet over suspected “unfair commercial practices” linked to user data consent requests sent to consumers.
The watchdog claims Google’s consent requests are misleading and lack clear information, potentially influencing users’ decisions on data sharing across services like Google Search, Maps, and YouTube.
This follows a previous fine of 10 million euros in 2021 against Google and Apple for inadequate user data information and aggressive commercial tactics. Google has yet to comment on the latest investigation.