Italy Probes Apple Over Alleged iCloud Favoritism
*Italy’s competition authority has opened a formal investigation into whether Apple steers users toward its own cloud storage at the expense of rivals.*
Italy’s antitrust regulator announced it is examining Apple’s practices around iCloud. The move adds another case to the list of EU-linked actions already targeting the company’s services and app distribution.
The Italian authority stated it will compile a report and forward it to the European Commission. The inquiry focuses on whether Apple gives iCloud preferential treatment that disadvantages third-party cloud providers. No timeline for conclusions was released.
Apple has faced repeated regulatory scrutiny in Europe on multiple fronts, from app-store fees to browser choice. This latest step originates at the national level but is structured to feed directly into EU-level oversight.
Why it matters
The investigation signals that national regulators remain willing to press claims even as the Commission handles its own Digital Markets Act cases. For developers and users who rely on alternative cloud options, any enforced changes could alter how Apple surfaces storage prompts inside iOS. The outcome will likely hinge on evidence of default settings and user-interface design rather than outright technical barriers.
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