Italy’s competition watchdog probes Google over data portability

MILAN (Reuters) -Italy’s competitors authority AGCM mentioned on Thursday it had launched an investigation in opposition to Google for suspected abuse of its dominant place in information portability, an accusation the Alphabet unit denied.

The watchdog mentioned in a press release that Google allegedly hindered interoperability with different platforms, significantly with Weople, an app by Italian operator Hoda, which might “constrain the financial advantages that customers can derive from their information” and restrict competitors.

The competitors regulator carried out inspections on Wednesday at Google premises together with Italy’s finance police, it mentioned in a press release.

Google mentioned it had been providing individuals the potential for extracting and transferring their information for nearly ten years.

“These are instruments designed to assist individuals handle their private data, and never give different firms or intermediaries entry to extra information to promote,” a gaggle spokesperson mentioned in an emailed assertion.

Giving such entry, it mentioned, would imply “placing individuals’s privateness in danger, in addition to encouraging fraudulent actions. There are already methods for firms to extend direct portability of knowledge of their companies.”

Underneath Italian regulation, Google faces a effective of as much as 10% of its annual international gross sales if discovered responsible of abusing its place.

(Reporting by Elvira Pollina, enhancing by Giulia Segreti and Nick Macfie)