Italy Antitrust opens probe into Facebook's collection, use of data

ROME (Reuters) - Italy’s Antitrust Authority has opened a probe into possible incorrect commercial practices by Facebook in its treatment of user data, the agency said in a statement on Friday.

“When an account is activated, Facebook may not adequately and immediately inform the user about the collection and use, for commercial reasons, of the data that they release,” the statement said.

The agency also said users may “automatically and without their knowledge” be agreeing to the harvesting and use of their data by third-party applications that connect to the Facebook platform.

Last month, a Rome prosecutor opened a probe into whether any breaches of Facebook data had occurred in Italy after a Britain-based political consultancy accessed information about millions of users.