Brussels (AFP)

The European Commission said on Monday that it has begun a "preliminary investigation" against Google and Facebook to find out how they collect their users' personal data and for what purposes.

"The Commission sent questionnaires as part of a preliminary investigation into the practices of Google and Facebook regarding the use of data" users, said in an email to AFP a spokesman for the European executive .

"These investigations focus on how data is collected, processed, used and monetized, including for advertising purposes," added the spokesperson.

As usual, the Commission did not specify to whom these questionnaires had been sent. This is a preliminary step that can lead to a formal investigation.

At a conference in Brussels on Monday, Nick Clegg, global director of public affairs Facebook, questioned on the investigation of Brussels, refused to answer specifically.

Facebook is being investigated on various issues "around the world," he said.

He warned, however, that regulators should not be locked into inappropriate reasoning when it comes to data.

"This formula that we often hear + the data is oil + is deeply useless.It is not something that we extract from the ground, that we burn in an engine, and that's it," he said. -he says.

"Data is infinitely divisible and infinitely shareable - data is something you can both share and keep at the same time," he added.

"For a company like Facebook, we urge regulators and legislators not to be trapped by comparisons that do not apply to the digital world," he said.

For its part, a spokesman for Google said in an email to AFP: "we use the data to make our services more useful and to display relevant advertising."

"We empower people to manage, delete or transfer their data," he continued. And to promise to "continue to participate with the Commission in this important discussion".

Three years ago, on 26 September 2016, the European Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager, had already warned that she would "monitor very closely" companies that collect and use personal data, such as Facebook, WhatsApp (detained by Facebook) or Google.

The Danish, which has, since taking office in the Commission in November 2014, imposed on Google three fines for abuse of dominant position in different sectors had warned: "companies that use + big data + (or" big data ") must respect the rules ".

In the new European Commission, Ms. Vestager rose to the rank of Vice President, still holds the competition portfolio, but is also in charge of digital regulation.

In addition, Facebook announced Monday the launch of a new tool so that its users in Ireland can easily transfer photos and videos to Google Photos, a service offered by its competitor.

He promised to expand this service to other countries and platforms in the future.

© 2019 AFP