Italyβs antitrust regulator opened an investigation into Apple over alleged violations of the European Commissionβs Digital Markets Act (DMA), centred around third-party interoperability policies with its operating systems and iCloud service.
The competition watchdog stated under DMA rules Apple must ensure third-party cloud providers are granted free and effective interoperability with iOS and iPadOS, as well as access under equal conditions to the same hardware and software features as those available to Apple iCloud.
The authority stated it had indications third-party providers βmay not be placed on an equal footingβ as Appleβs iCloud, pointing to the fact they appear to lack access to the same features used or made available to the in-house service.
For example, Italyβs regulator stated it appears Apple does not allow alternative cloud storage services to use iOS and iPad features enabling end users to fully backup data.
It will now conduct a deeper investigation into potential violations, before sending findings to the European Commission.
It is the first time the Italian authority has launched a probe under the DMA, which allows national authorities to launch initial investigations.
Apple has been a vocal critic of the EC regulation, which came into force in 2022 with the goal of curbing big tech dominance in favour of smaller players.
In September 2025, the iPhone giant demanded the European Union abandon the legislation, arguing it was making it harder for technology companies to do business, reduced consumer choice and created an unfair competitive landscape.
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