The Antitrust Authority investigates the cloud of Google, Apple and Dropbox

The Competition and Market Authority launches an investigation into the business practices of the cloud services of Drive, iCloud and Dropbox

The cloud (Getty Images) Apple, Google and Dropbox. These are the names of the six cloud operators against which the Competition and Market Authority (Agcm) has launched six investigations. The accusation for Google Drive, iCloud and Dropbox is of alleged unfair commercial practices and / or violations of the Consumer Rights Directive both by one for alleged unfair clauses included in the contractual conditions. These are three of the main services for the storage of information in the cloud and for the exchange of data.

In particular, writes the Antitrust, “the investigations for unfair practices against Google and Apple concern the failure or inadequate indication, in the presentation of the service, of the collection and use for commercial purposes of the data provided by the user and the possible undue influence on consumers, who, in order to use the cloud storage service, would not be in a position to express consent to the operator to collect and use information concerning them for commercial purposes ".

The same objections are raised by the authority led by the president Roberto Rustichelli also to Dropbox," which in addition, is accused of failing to provide in a clear and immediately accessible manner the information on the conditions, terms and procedures for withdrawing from the contract and for exercise the right to reconsider. Furthermore, not to allow the user the easy use of out-of-court dispute settlement mechanisms, to which the professional is subject, with the necessary information to access them ".