Google has won its appeal against a €750,000 ($803,400) punishment levied by Italy’s Communications Authority, AGCOM, for suspected violations of the Dignity Decree. The Dignity Decree, which went into effect in Italy in 2019, prohibited all types of gambling-related advertising, including both land-based and internet sectors, as well as radio and television advertising.
AGCOM pursued the sanction against Google, stating that the tech giant’s media and advertising platforms pushed different gambling-related content to Italian clients in breach of the Dignity Decree’s requirements. Google, on the other hand, disagrees with these assertions and filed an appeal, claiming that the promotion of gambling content through YouTube links was the consequence of efforts performed by independent, third-party marketers. Google claimed that it had not directly breached Italy’s Dignity Decree.
The Administrative Court of Lazio in Rome has finally decided in Google’s favor, eliminating the AGCOM penalties. The verdict of the court recognizes Google’s competence and efficacy in deleting illicit gambling promotions from its platforms. It also acknowledges that Google has changed its terms and conditions for Italian-facing partners. Google’s complete steps resulted in the penalty being lifted.
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