The Italian authority guarantor of competition fined this Friday with 22.5 million dollars to Google and Manzana by incorrect business practices, reported the entity.
The antitrust authority established that the two companies have each violated the Consumer Code twice, “By not providing enough information to its customers” and “For aggressive practices related to the acquisition and use of consumer data for commercial purposes.”
The agency recalled that the two digital giants, which must each pay 11.2 million dollars, They collect information from their clients through their profiles and that they have not provided clear and precise information about the use they make of that data.
Google, For example, he has been accused of installing an order in the creation phase of an account that is essential for the use of all the services offered and in which the user accepts that the company collects and uses their personal information for commercial purposes.
This authorization allows “the transfer and use of data by Google (…) without the need for other passages, during which the user could confirm or modify their choice ”, explains the note.
For his part Apple “collects, profiles and uses user data for commercial purposes through the use of its devices and services, so it directly exploits its economic value through promotional activity to increase the sale of its own products and / or those of third parties through its commercial platforms, ”the statement said.
The Italian competition regulator imposed a heavy fine last Tuesday, of 225 million dollars to Amazon and Apple, for violating the competition rules by restricting the access of the Amazon platform to some resellers of Apple products.
In May, it fined Google $ 114 million for abuse of its dominant position.
European Union countries have increased financial sanctions against US and Chinese digital giants in an effort to regulate their activities.