The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) has started a competition supervision procedure against Duolingo Inc., an American company providing language learning services. The GVH suspects that Duolingo's commercial practices are unfair for several reasons, including potentially misleading consumers about the effectiveness of its language learning methods and making unfounded claims of market superiority.

Additionally, the company is believed to exert psychological pressure on consumers through unsolicited and frequent direct marketing messages, encouraging them to use its services and switch to the paid version. The GVH also noted that Duolingo has not made its terms of service easily accessible in Hungarian for consumers in Hungary, which raises concerns about transparency.

Specific allegations against Duolingo include making potentially misleading claims about the expected results of its online language learning service, such as the assertion that 'after one month of using Duolingo, 9 out of 10 language learners speak the language confidently.' Furthermore, the company is accused of providing vague or outdated information regarding the limitations of its free service, such as the number of lessons that can be completed in a day.

The initiation of this investigation does not imply that Duolingo has committed a legal violation. The procedure aims to clarify the facts and substantiate the alleged infringement. The investigation is expected to last three months, with the possibility of two extensions of up to two months each if justified.