The Italian Competition Autority has started two separate investigations against the Samsung and Apple group companies operating in Italy as a result of several complaints got from consumer and preliminary investigation carried out of its own motion.
These businesses would have put in place a general commercial policy aimed at exploiting the shortcomings of some components to limit the performance of their products over the time and to lead consumers to purchase the upgrade ones. Software updating of mobile phones would have been offered to consumers without informing them on the possible consequences that the updating may cause to their devices and without providing useful information to maintain an adequate level of performance of the product, often advertised and purchased for its specific and high technological characteristics.
Such behavior could represent an infringement of articles 20, 21, 22 and 24 of the Consumer Code.
To this end, the Authority has carried out inspections at the businesses premised in cooperation with the Antitrust Unit of the Guardia di Finanza, supported by their colleagues from the Special Unit of Technological Frauds .
