Italy Launches Probe on Apple Cloud Under the DMA

Italian antitrust body has opened an investigation into Apple over alleged violations of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The investigation is centered around third-party interoperability policies with its operating systems and iCloud service.

The competition regulator stated that 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 that third-party providers may not be placed on an equal footing as Apple’s iCloud, pointing to the fact they appear to lack access to the same features used or made available to the in-house service.

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 to curb big tech dominance in favour of smaller players. In September 2025, the iPhone giant demanded the EU abandon the legislation, arguing it was making it harder for technology companies to do business, reducing consumer choice, and creating an unfair competitive landscape.