Italy’s Competition and Markets Authority (AGCM) has opened a formal investigation into Apple Inc., Apple Distribution International Ltd., and Apple Italia S.r.l. to assess whether the tech giant is violating its strict interoperability obligations under the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). The regulatory action marks a significant legal milestone, as it is the first time a national antitrust authority has deployed localized preliminary investigative powers to support the enforcement of the EU’s sweeping Big Tech rulebook.
The central focus of the probe involves how Apple integrates alternative, third-party consumer cloud storage services within its iOS and iPadOS ecosystems. Under Article 6, Paragraph 7 of the DMA, digital “gatekeepers” like Apple are legally required to guarantee competing developers effective, functional interoperability with core hardware and software operating system components completely free of charge. The regulation mandates that third-party services must receive equal, unhindered access to the exact ecosystem components made available to Apple’s native products—in this case, its iCloud storage service.
The AGCM indicates it has gathered preliminary evidence suggesting that Apple fails to provide a level playing field for external consumer cloud providers. Specifically, the Italian regulator points out that Apple apparently restricts alternative cloud services from utilizing the deep operating system architecture required to execute a full, comprehensive device data backup. While Apple’s proprietary iCloud service enjoys automated, full-system backup privileges directly integrated into the iPhone and iPad settings, rival apps like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive appear barred from leveraging those exact technical components.
This procedural step leans heavily on specialized enforcement powers granted to the Italian watchdog through the country’s 2022 Annual Competition Reform Law, enacted in late 2023. Under this framework, national regulators can independently spearhead targeted preliminary inquiries to bolster broader European objectives. The AGCM confirmed that this administrative file was opened in close structural cooperation with the European Commission.
Because the European Commission remains the sole entity legally authorized to impose final rulings and multi-billion-euro financial penalties under the gatekeeper framework, the AGCM will turn over all evidence and factual findings gathered throughout its localized investigation directly to Brussels. The probe signals an escalating willingness by individual European member states to actively test Apple’s restrictive ecosystem rules, magnifying regulatory pressure on the company as it simultaneously navigates separate, ongoing non-compliance disputes across the broader European single market.
