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In 2017, Alphabet, the parent company of Google has already had to pay 8.2 billion euros in Brussels. REUTERS / Aly Song

The new European Commission that has just taken office does not relieve the pressure on the major digital groups. Google, the world's leading search engine, and subsidiary of Alphabet, is currently under preliminary investigation revealed this weekend Reuters.

The ongoing investigation is about how Google collects and resells data from European users, especially in advertising services. It is part of a wider antitrust investigation by the European Union that has already condemned Alphabet for the past two years.

Since 2017, the parent company of Google has already had to pay 8.2 billion euros in Brussels. On the one hand, for abuse of position of Android, its operating system for smartphones and on the other hand, for violating antitrust laws with its advertising agency Adsense.

► Also to listen: Is the fine imposed on Google by the European Commission dissuasive?

Does this mean that Google has not done anything for two years to reform its operation? Last week, about forty companies complained to Brussels about Google advertising services whose algorithm would be far from neutral according to these companies.

Feed the algorithm

According to Reuters , which revealed this new investigation, the Commission would be interested in how Google collects and uses the data of users who then feed the famous algorithm. The Commission sent questionnaires to Alphabet concerning data from browsers, online advertisements, targeted advertising, and authentication services.

The same suspicion prevails in the United States where anti-trust investigations are aimed at Google in almost all states but also at the federal level. In a statement the group defends itself: it uses the data only to improve its services and the users always keep the hand on their data.