Italy launches antitrust investigation into Apple, Google, and Dropbox

Alongside its recent investigation into alleged price fixing, Italy's antitrust regulator has announced that it is separately looking how companies including Apple are running their cloud service businesses in the country.

According to Reuters, Italy's L'Autorit Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM) says that it has opened the inquiry following allegations to do with contracts regarding the cloud businesses of Apple, Google, and Dropbox.

"The proceedings relate to alleged improper commercial practices and the possible inclusion of unfair clauses in contract conditions," said the authority in a statement seen by Reuters.

No further details have been released, and as yet Apple has not publicly commented.

This latest antitrust investigation joins very many similar ones facing Apple around the world. The company is currently being investigated over issues regarding Apple Music, the App Store, Apple Pay and more.

Italy's AGCM has previously found against Apple in a case concerning the company's intentional slowing down of iPhones with older batteries. In 2018, the authority levied a 10 million euro ($11.1M) fine which Apple then unsuccessfully appealed.