Italy’s competition authority has opened investigations into companies within the Glovo group and into Deliveroo Italy over alleged misleading representations concerning their treatment of delivery riders and their broader social responsibility commitments.
The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) said it is examining whether Glovoapp23 S.A., Foodinho S.r.l., Glovo Infrastructure Services Italy S.r.l., and Deliveroo Italy Srl presented consumers with an inaccurate picture of their ethical standards and corporate responsibility practices in connection with their food delivery operations.
According to the regulator, the companies may have promoted an image of themselves through public-facing materials—including ethics codes and website “about us” sections—as businesses committed to strong ethical principles and social responsibility, despite allegedly failing to meet those standards in practice.
The authority’s concerns focus particularly on statements relating to rider working conditions and compliance with legal obligations in the management of delivery workers. The investigation will also examine the operational models and algorithmic systems used by the companies in managing rider activity.
As part of the probe, AGCM officials, assisted by the Special Antitrust Unit of Italy’s Guardia di Finanza, conducted inspections at the offices of Foodinho and Glovo Infrastructure Services Italy, as well as at Deliveroo Italy’s headquarters.
The investigations add to mounting regulatory scrutiny across Europe over labor conditions in the gig economy, particularly regarding how digital platforms manage workers through algorithmic systems while publicly emphasizing commitments to fairness, transparency, and responsible business conduct.
If the authority concludes that the companies misled consumers about their ethical and labor practices, the case could become a significant test of how competition and consumer protection law are applied to environmental, social, and governance-related corporate claims in the platform economy.
