Italy Investigates Apple's iCloud Interoperability Under EU's DMA
Italy's competition authority has launched an investigation into Apple's compliance with the EU's Digital Markets Act regarding iCloud. The probe questions whether Apple provides equal access to its iOS/iPadOS features for third-party cloud services as it does for its own iCloud, potentially violating interoperability rules. Findings will be shared with the European Commission.
Key points
- Italy's competition regulator initiated an investigation into Apple on Tuesday, June 16, 2026.
- The probe focuses on Apple's compliance with the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) concerning iCloud interoperability.
- Apple is accused of potentially not granting equal footing to third-party cloud services regarding access to iOS/iPadOS features.
- Specifically, alternative cloud providers reportedly lack access to full device backup features available to iCloud.
- This investigation is Italy's first under the DMA, and its findings will be shared with the European Commission.
Apple is facing its first investigation in Italy concerning compliance with the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), specifically regarding the interoperability of its iCloud service.
The Italian Competition Authority announced it has launched a probe to determine if Apple adheres to DMA obligations that mandate equal and free access for third-party cloud service providers to Apple's iOS and iPadOS platforms. The authority stated it has evidence suggesting that external cloud services may not be on the same level as Apple's own iCloud.
Concerns center on Apple's alleged restriction of features for alternative cloud storage providers. The Italian regulator pointed out that other services do not appear to have access to essential software functionalities, such as enabling users to perform a complete backup of their device data, which is available to iCloud users. The findings from this investigation will be forwarded to the European Commission, which holds the sole authority for enforcing the DMA.
Sources
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