The appeals refer to two €10 million fines imposed by the Italian antitrust authority in 2021.
Last week, an Italian administrative court rejected an appeal by Google against a fine from Italy’s antitrust authority, according to Reuters. The same court did, however, accept an appeal filed by Apple against the same fine levied by the same agency at the same time.
Last year, both tech giants were fined €10 million each by the Italian Competition and Markets Authority (AGCM), the highest sum allowed by current national legislation. The AGCM charged that neither Apple nor Google provided ‘clear and immediate information’ on how they collect and use the data of users.
The AGCM led investigations that ascertained two violations of the Consumer Code by each company, one for a lack of information and the other for aggressive practices linked to the acquisition and use of consumer data for commercial purposes.
Two companies, similar problems
The authority found that Google, both during account creation and the use of services, omits the information that a consumer requires to consciously decide whether or not to accept the company’s data usage for commercial purposes.
In the case of Apple, the AGCM found that, both when creating an Apple ID and when accessing the Apple Stores, the company did not provide the user with the information required to consciously decide whether or not to accept the company’s conditions.
Both tech giants have had multiple run-ins with the Italian authority. Last year, the watchdog slammed Google with a €102 million fine for ‘anti-competitive behaviour’. The AGCM also fined Apple an additional €10 million for ‘false waterproofing claims‘.
Regarding the latest decisions by the court, neither Google nor Apple had any immediate comment, Reuters said.
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