Google faces sweeping German antitrust probes into data terms

Google’s market power and control over users’ data faces intense scrutiny in Germany as the nation’s antitrust watchdog added to the list of U.S. tech giants targeted by tough new rules.

Germany’s Federal Cartel Office said Tuesday it’s started two investigations under antitrust measures that allow it to target large digital companies that may dominate several markets.

The authority will conduct an in-depth analysis of Google’s data processing terms, saying the Alphabet Inc. unit enjoys a “strategic advantage” from the information it collects. Regulators also questioned whether users “have sufficient choice as to how Google will use their data.”