The German Antitrust Authority has launched an investigation into Google

The German antitrust authority announced on Tuesday that it had begun investigating whether Google Germany, Google Ireland and their parent company Alphabet were abusing their dominant market position in handling the data. The Federal Cartel Office said that investigators will shed light on whether the technology giant offers users sufficient choice when it comes to using their data in the wide range of digital services it provides. Google claims that people use its services because they are helpful, not because they are forced to do so. Or because they can't find any alternatives. "We give people easy control over how their information is used and limit the use of personal data," said spokesman Ralf Bremer, adding that Google would work with the German authorities in the investigation. The Federal Office in Bonn has made use of the extended powers it has acquired as part of the recent reforms of German competition law. It also opened a new investigation into "data practices" of other Internet giants Facebook and Amazon. In the case of Google, it will examine whether the scope of its digital services, which include search, YouTube, Maps, the Android operating system for smartphones and Chrome, does not mean that the company has a dominant position in all markets. "Google's business model is essentially based on the processing of its users' data," said Andreas Mundt, head of the office. "We will examine in great detail the conditions under which user data is processed. The central question is whether customers have enough choice about Google's use of their data if they want to use Google services, "he added. The Antimonopoly Office views the treatment of user data as a competition issue, which is not to the liking of critics who claim that the matter falls within the scope of European Union privacy law. In 2019, it imposed restrictions on Facebook's processing of user data, sparking a lengthy lawsuit that has now been referred to the European Court of Justice.