IOS Cloud Backup Access Under Investigation by Italian Regulator
What You Need to Know
- Italy’s competition regulator opened formal investigation into Apple’s iOS cloud storage interoperability compliance under EU Digital Markets Act.
- Apple restricts third-party cloud providers from accessing same iOS backup features available to iCloud, creating structural disadvantage.
- DMA requires Apple provide third-party cloud services equal access to iCloud capabilities for device backups on iOS and iPadOS.
- DMA violations can result in fines up to 10 percent of worldwide annual revenue, potentially tens of billions for Apple.
Italy’s competition regulator has opened a formal investigation into whether Apple is complying with its interoperability obligations under the European Digital Markets Act, specifically around cloud storage access on iOS and iPadOS. It is the first DMA probe the Italian Competition Authority has launched, and the findings will be passed to the European Commission, which remains the sole enforcement authority under the regulation.
The core allegation is straightforward. Apple does not allow third-party cloud storage providers to use the same iOS and iPadOS features that iCloud uses to perform a full device backup. That means competitors cannot offer users an equivalent backup experience, which the regulator says puts them at a structural disadvantage relative to Apple’s own service.
The DMA requires Apple to give third-party consumer cloud services effective, free interoperability with iOS and iPadOS, including equal access to iCloud’s capabilities. When a user wants to back up their iPhone to a service other than iCloud, the relevant system-level features are simply not available to outside developers. The Italian authority says it has evidence this gap is real, not theoretical.
What Comes Next
The Italian watchdog’s role here is investigative, not punitive. Its findings feed into the Commission’s enforcement process, where the real consequences live. Companies found in violation of DMA rules can face fines of up to 10 percent of worldwide annual revenue, a figure that, for Apple, would run into the tens of billions of dollars.
Apple has been navigating DMA compliance since the regulation took effect for large gatekeepers in early 2024. The Commission has already opened its own proceedings against Apple on separate DMA questions, so the Italian probe adds another front to an already complicated regulatory picture across Europe. Whether the Commission ultimately acts on this specific issue depends on what the Italian authority’s preliminary findings actually show.
0 Comments