European Union antitrust regulators are targeting Google LLC again, this time scrutinizing its data collection practices in Europe, Reuters reported today.

The new investigation comes just a few months after the EU imposed a record fine on the company for its  alleged “abusive” online advertising practices.

A spokesperson for the European Commission told Reuters it’s seeking information on how and why Google collects data on its European users. The Commission is particularly interested in the local search, advertising and web browser services Google provides, Reuters said.

“The Commission has sent out questionnaires as part of a preliminary investigation into Google’s practices relating to Google’s collection and use of data,” the EU regulator said. “The preliminary investigation is ongoing.”

Google responded in a statement that it uses the data it collects to improve its services, and that users can manage, delete or transfer their data at any time.

“There will always be a tussle between software vendors offering free products, and privacy,” said Holger Mueller, an analyst with Constellation Research Inc. “Government watchdogs are there to safeguard the privacy of consumers and so investigations like this can only make the industry a better place.”

The new investigation comes at a time when Google and other technology firms are under increased regulatory scrutiny in the U.S. too. In July the U.S. Justice Department announced its own antitrust probe into the tech industry, targeted at Google, Apple Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Facebook Inc.

The European Commission had slapped Google with a $1.7 billion fine for its online ad practices in March, saying it was exploiting its dominance by preventing rivals from placing search ads on outside websites.

That was the third multibillion-dollar fine imposed on Google in three years by the EU, bringing its total bill in the region to $9 billion, following earlier fines imposed for its shopping practices and its anti-competitive rules around its Android operating system.

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