The Italian Competition Authority (ICA) concluded its investigation into the Alphabet/Google group's alleged abuse of dominant position by accepting proposed commitments. The binding commitments will make it easier for users to move their data to other platforms, according to a July 31 news release.
"In the Authority's view, the commitments submitted by Google ensure significant automation of the procedure available for data export (Takeout)," the Authority stated. "They also improve the interoperability mechanism that makes the data available in the Google ecosystem accessible to third-party platforms."
The investigation included Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc., as well as its subsidiaries Google LLC, Google Ireland Limited and Google Italy S.r.l. The alleged abuse by the Google group included obstacles in data sharing with other platforms, particularly with Weople APP, which offers users various ways to exploit their data, according to the release.
"The Alphabet/Google group holds a dominant position in several markets and is consequently able to acquire large amounts of data through the services it provides (Gmail, Google Maps, Android," the ICA said in the release. "In 2022, it achieved a turnover of USD 282.8 billion."
The ICA highlighted in the release the threefold solution presented by Google to address the concerns raised during the investigation. Two of these solutions are aimed at enhancing the Takeout service, which allows end users to back up their data. The enhancements are designed to facilitate the export of data to third-party operators, promoting greater data portability and interoperability.
The third commitment introduces a solution currently under development, that will enable direct data portability from service to service. The feature is targeted at third-party operators which have been authorized by end users to access and use their data. The portability covers both user-provided data and data generated through their activities on Google's online search engine and YouTube platform, according to the release.
The closure of the investigation and the acceptance of Google's commitments bring relief to the tech giant, putting an end to potential legal repercussions in Italy. The measures implemented through these commitments are expected to foster fair competition and innovation in the digital market, empowering both users and third-party operators with greater control over data portability and usage, the release reported.
"Overall, the Authority found the commitments proposed by Google to be adequate to address the competition concerns," the ICA said in the release.
