Agcm

According to the AGCM, the information about the subscription price increase of the popular service, mainly used by companies, was “presented to consumers in a fragmented manner, without adequately highlighting that Microsoft 365 has been integrated with the AI services Copilot and Designer. Furthermore, consumers were imposed, as the default option and unless they exercised their right of withdrawal, a new subscription plan with a higher price.”

The AGCM has imposed a fine of 2 million euros on the Salento-based e-commerce company specializing in furniture and household items. The focus was on the countdowns that renewed under the same conditions, the calculation of discounts, and the internal documents acquired during the investigation.

For the first time, the AGCM exercises the powers provided by the EU legislation to protect competition. The findings of the investigation carried out by the Italian authority will be transferred to the European Commission, which will have to take over the case. According to the thesis of Rustichelli’s authority, “third-party providers of consumer cloud services might not be placed on the same footing as Apple’s iCloud service.” A new casus belli with the Old Continent after Cupertino’s controversies over the impossibility of bringing Siri AI to Europe due to too many EU regulations?

The commitments proposed by TheFork to avoid harsher penalties have been accepted and made mandatory by the Antitrust Authority. The platform will now have to make its terms of use clearer and refund users affected by a technical issue with gift cards. All the details.

The Antitrust Authority has fined Trade Republic Bank 2.5 million euros due to misleading communication about the Saveback Program, which was presented as a simple purchase refund but was actually tied to specific financial accumulation plans. All the details.

The AGCM challenges the surcharge communicated after the purchase and has initiated precautionary proceedings regarding the Spanish company’s “Fair Travel Promise.” The case arises as low-cost airlines now account for over 60% of the Italian air market.

The AGCM has closed the investigation into the barriers to entry for the French company SNCF by accepting RFI’s commitments. However, ART contests the decision and appeals to the TAR. At the heart of the dispute are the railway tracks and the boundaries between sector regulation and competition protection. All the key issues in the High-Speed market.

The Antitrust Authority has opened an investigation against Biogen because, according to a report from Sandoz, it may have hindered the market entry of a cheaper drug for multiple sclerosis, thereby also harming public healthcare savings. All the details.

According to the Italian Competition Authority, Easyjet’s website and app are designed in a way that misleads consumers about the actual price of the service for each leg of the journey when purchasing tickets. Additionally, cumulative purchase options are enabled by default.

According to the AGCM investigation, Booking.com would grant participating accommodations in the Preferred Partner program and its extension, Preferred Plus, better positioning in the search results within the platform “despite the admission requirements for these programs not being sufficient to justify the benefits granted” to those hotels. All the details on the Antitrust initiative.

What did the president of the Italian Competition Authority (Agcm), Roberto Rustichelli, say during the presentation of the Annual Report?

The Antitrust Authority has fined Revolut, the British digital bank, over 11 million euros, citing omissions and misleading information, including regarding the migration to the Italian IBAN. All the details.

The Antitrust Authority has fined Morellato nearly 26 million euros for controlling online prices and prohibiting its retailers from selling on sites like Amazon and eBay. All the details.

Young girls using and promoting anti-aging cosmetic products on social media, and companies riding the wave regardless of the physical and psychological harm they cause. This is why the Antitrust Authority has launched two investigations against Sephora Italy, Benefit Cosmetics, and LVMH Perfumes and Cosmetics Italy. All the details.

The Antitrust Authority has fined the online review giant Trustpilot 4 million euros. The focus was on the lack of transparency regarding paid services and the use of deceptive interfaces to manipulate the perceived reliability of companies. All the details.

The AGCM has launched an exploratory investigation into quantum computing, a new technology that promises extremely high computing power (and could threaten national security). The authority fears that a few large players may control market access. All the details and the companies involved.

The Antitrust Authority has accepted and made binding the commitments presented by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (Rfi, a company of the Fs group) regarding High Speed Rail: alongside the established operators Trenitalia (Fs) and Italo, a third operator will join: Sncf, the French national railways.