Italy probes Apple cloud services

Italy's competition regulator, the Italy — Italian Competition Authority (AGCM), has launched an investigation into Apple Inc. for alleged breaches of the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) concerning its cloud services. This marks the first probe by a national authority under the DMA. The investigation focuses on whether Apple Inc. ensures that third-party cloud service providers can interoperate effectively and free of charge with its IOS and IPadOS operating systems, and have equal access to components as Apple Inc.'s own ICloud service. The AGCM has evidence suggesting that third-party providers may not have this equal access, particularly regarding features like full device data backup. The findings of this preliminary investigation will be forwarded to the International — European Commission, which has the authority to impose substantial fines, up to 10% of a company's global annual turnover, for DMA violations. This event highlights growing regulatory pressure on major technology companies in Europe.