Italy: Issued AGCM Opinion in Investigation into BAT and Amazon for Deceptive Advertising

On 20 December 2023, the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) issued an opinion on an investigation into British American Tobacco Italia S.p.A., Amazon Services Europe S.A R.L., Amazon Italia Customer Services S.r.l. and Amazon Eu S.A R.L. The investigation, initiated on 17 April 2023, concerns allegations of misleading commercial practices related to the promotion of the Glo Hyper X2 device. The AGCM's opinion suggests that the companies' promotional activities could constitute unfair commercial practices, as they allegedly fail to provide clear and visible warnings about the presence of nicotine in the device and its intended use for adults only. The AGCM argues that such practices could potentially expose consumers, particularly minors, to health risks.