Italian watchdog investigates Google over alleged advertising market abuse- Technology News, Firstpost

ReutersOct 29, 2020 00:17:03 IST

ROME/MILAN (Reuters) – Italy’s antitrust authority is investigating Alphabet’s Google for alleged abuse of its dominant place within the Italian on-line show promoting market, it stated on Wednesday.

The investigation follows a grievance filed by Italian digital promoting foyer group IAB final yr, and provides to regulatory scrutiny the Silicon Valley tech large is going through worldwide.

The watchdog stated it suspects Google of utilizing huge quantities of knowledge collected by its personal functions to stop rival operators from competing successfully. It stated it carried out inspections of some Google workplaces on Tuesday.

A Google spokesman in Italy stated in an e-mailed assertion the corporate was working constructively with the Italian authorities.

He added that the Google coverage adjustments on which the watchdog was focusing had been partly geared toward squaring European Union privateness regulation with how its promoting instruments work.

Angela Mills Wade, government director of the European Publishers’ Council, welcomed the Italian investigation, which should be accomplished by Nov. 2021

She stated the tech large’s “unrivalled place” hit “publishers and, finally, their readers as much less promoting income results in much less funding in journalism”.

The Italian internet marketing market generated income of three.3 billion euros ($3.9 billion) final yr, with show promoting, equivalent to banner advertisements, accounting for practically 37%.

($1 = 0.8461 euros)

(Reporting by Elvira Pollina and Giulia Segreti; Enhancing by David Goodman and Jan Harvey)

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