EU Antitrust Regulators Investigating Google’s Data Collection

The European Commission told a news agency on November 30 that the EU antitrust regulators are investigating Google’s collection of data. The statement suggests that Google is still under scrutiny despite record fines in recent years. How dominant tech companies use and monetize data is being looked at by competition enforcers on both sides of the Atlantic. The EU executive said it was seeking information on how and why the Alphabet unit Google is collecting the data. He said that the Commission has sent out questionnaires as part of a preliminary investigation into Google’s practices relating to Google’s collection and use of data. The preliminary investigation is ongoing, he added.

EU imposes fine worth 8 billion euros on Google

As per reports, the EU’s focus is on data related to local search services, online advertising, online ad targeting services, login services, web browsers, and others. Over the last two years, European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager has handed down fines totaling more than 8 billion euros to Google and ordered it to change its business practices. On the other hand, Google has clarified in its statement that it uses data to better its services. Users can manage, delete and transfer their data at any time, it added.

Australian Consumer Watchdog sues Google over location data

In October, the Australian consumer watchdog took Google to court alleging the technology giant broke consumer law by misleading Android users about how their location data was used. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission accused Google of collecting information on users’ whereabouts even after they switched off the location setting. The commission began proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia alleging Google breached the law through a series of on-screen representations made as android users set up Google accounts. The search engine giant said it was reviewing the allegations.―Republic World