Italy: Announced Competition Authority investigation against Google over alleged unfair commercial practices

On 18 July 2024, the Italian Competition Authority initiated an investigation into Google and its parent company, Alphabet, regarding their practices of requesting consent for linking services offered to users. The investigation focuses on allegations that Google provides inadequate, incomplete, and misleading information about the implications of user consent on the use of personal data across its services. This includes concerns over the combination and cross-use of personal data among Google's various services, such as online advertising, user-generated content platforms, and search services, without offering clear information or the ability to limit consent to specific services. The Authority noted that Google's consent request methods may unduly influence consumer choices, potentially leading to decisions they would not have otherwise made.