Italy probes Apple over restricted iCloud rivals on iOS and iPadOS

The probe moves the DMA battleground from app payments to the underlying OS architecture, potentially forcing Apple to open deep system hooks previously reserved for its own services. If found non-compliant, Apple could be required to grant rivals the same background-processing and system-level backup capabilities as iCloud, lowering switching costs for consumers. This adds significant regulatory pressure to a technical stack that Apple has historically kept closed for security reasons. Industry observers should watch for the European Commission's potential adoption of the AGCM's findings as a template for broader cloud interoperability mandates across the EU.

The AGCM's investigation coincides with heightened EU scrutiny across the entire cloud sector. In June 2026, the European Commission issued preliminary findings that Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure should be designated as gatekeepers under the Digital Markets Act, despite falling below the regulation's quantitative thresholds. Per EU reporting, this designation would subject the two dominant infrastructure providers to strict interoperability and anti-lock-in rules similar to those currently being tested against Apple's mobile operating systems.

Regulatory pressure on Apple specifically has intensified following the European Commission's April 2025 decision to fine the company €500 million for anti-steering breaches in the App Store. Additionally, the Commission issued two specification decisions in March 2025 that established a framework for how Apple must handle third-party interoperability requests. These decisions clarify that equal access does not require identical technical implementation, but must provide the same functional output that Apple's native services receive.

This Italian probe also follows a legal pattern where national authorities use localized powers to support centralized EU enforcement. Italy’s 2022 Annual Competition Reform Law, enacted in late 2023, granted the AGCM specific authority to conduct these preliminary investigations. Similar parallel actions occurred in early 2025 when the French Competition Authority fined Apple €150 million over privacy frameworks, establishing a multi-front regulatory environment that pre-empts or supplements broader Brussels-led mandates.