The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) has launched an investigation against Google for unfair commercial practices.
According to the Authority, the request for consent that Google sends to its users for the connection of the services offered could represent a deceptive and aggressive commercial practice. In fact, it would be accompanied by incomplete, deceptive and incomplete information and could influence the choice on the release of consent and on the scope of the consent itself.
The Italian Competition Authority has started an investigation against Google and its parent company Alphabet regarding the sending of a request to users for consent to the “connection” of the services offered. This request would in fact not seem to provide relevant information – or would provide incomplete and imprecise information – regarding the real effect that the consent produces on Google’s use of users’ personal data.
The same critical issues would exist regarding the variety and quantity of Google services, with respect to which a “combined” and “crossed” use of personal data may take place, and regarding the possibility of modulating (and therefore also limiting) consent to only some services.
Furthermore, according to the Authority, Google would use techniques and methods of presenting the request for consent, and also of building the mechanisms for collecting consent itself, which could influence the freedom of choice of the average consumer. The customer would in fact be induced to make a commercial decision that he would not have otherwise adopted, consenting to the combined and cross-referenced use of his personal data among the plurality of services offered.
