Major tech companies have been under the scrutiny of regulators for some time, partly because of concerns about user privacy and the storage of their data. Recently, Google, Apple and Dropbox have come under fire again. What is going on?
The Italian competition watchdog AGCM has started six investigations into the cloud services that the companies offer. There are serious concerns that the way user data is collected and used in Google Drive, iCloud and Dropbox is not in line with European rules.
According to AGCM, the companies could not explain how data is handled and whether or not the data is used for commercial purposes. In addition, the subscription terms of the cloud services would not be fair to users. For example, Apple, Dropbox and Google may suspend a subscription or unilaterally change the contractual terms of a subscription at any time and without valid reason. They even put aside all responsibilities related to the cloud service, even if users’ documents were accidentally lost from the cloud, AGCM fears.
In addition, Dropbox would not provide consumers with clear and accessible information on how to cancel their subscription. Users should also be given time to reconsider their purchased subscription, but AGCM suspects that Dropbox does not (clearly) offer that option.
It is not known when the investigation will be completed.
Tech companies under attack
The European Union has been pushing for more clarity about the policies that large tech companies apply and want more privacy protection for users. Last year, under pressure from Brussels, Facebook still had to provide insight into its general terms and conditions, although the social media platform does not yet provide openness in many areas.
In July, Italian authorities raided offices of Apple and Amazon as part of another investigation. The Italian market watchdog is investigating possible distortions of competition. Agreements between the two US technology groups would have made it impossible for retailers to sell Apple products if they did not participate in the iPhone manufacturer’s official sales program.
Protect privacy
Such studies show that it is important to actively protect your privacy yourself. After all, you cannot assume that your data will always be stored securely, if only because the earnings model of some parties simply revolves around selling this data.
There are various tools that help you control your privacy-sensitive information flow and with the right settings you can go a long way. In this article, we will take a closer look at the possibilities to better protect your privacy online.
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