Google and Apple hit with €20 million fine in Italy over data use

Both companies have said that they disagree with the antitrust authority.

What you need to know

• Italy's antitrust regulator has slapped a fine of €10 million (about $11.2 million) each on Google and Apple.
• The authority claims the two companies don't provide "clear and immediate information" on how they collect and use data from their users.
• Google and Apple plan to appeal against the decision.

Google and Apple have been hit with a fine of €10 million (about $11.2 million) each by Italy's antitrust watchdog for their "aggressive practices" related to the collection and use of data from users (via Reuters).

The authority claims the two tech giants do not provide "clear and immediate information" on exactly how the data from users is collected and used. Google and Apple have both disagreed with the authority's decision and plan to appeal against it.

In a statement sent to Android Central, a Google spokesperson said:

We have transparent and fair practices in order to provide our users with helpful tools and clear information about their usage. We give people simple controls to manage their information and limit the use of personal data, and we work hard to be fully compliant with the consumer protection rules. We disagree with the Authority's decision and we will appeal.

This is actually the second time this week that the authority has fined Apple. Earlier this week, it imposed a €200 million fine on Apple and Amazon for violating competition regulations.

As part of an agreement signed between Apple and Amazon in 2018, the two companies allowed only select resellers to sell Beats products on Amazon's Italian store. The two companies have also been accused of affecting competition on pricing. Apple and Amazon have decided to appeal against the fines and said that the agreement helps ensure that only genuine Apple products are being sold to consumers.

Italy had also fined Google €102 million in May this year for blocking an EV charging app from Android Auto. The antitrust watchdog found that Google had favored its own Google Maps app for Android Auto.