Italy: Issued ruling in Italian Competition and Market Authority investigation into Facebook for misleading practices regarding data use

On 7 December 2018, the Italian competition authority issued a ruling in its investigation into Facebook for misleading practices regarding data use. The Authority fined Facebook 10 million euros for misleading consumers and engaging in unfair commercial practices, as the company failed to inform users adequately during account creation that their data would be used for commercial purposes, emphasising the free nature of its service without disclosing its underlying commercial objectives, with limited options to opt out. To address these practices, the Authority required Facebook to publish an amending declaration on its platforms.