Italy's competition authority announced on Tuesday that it has initiated an investigation into potential breaches by Apple of interoperability obligations under the European Digital Markets Act.
Under the relevant rules, Apple is required to ensure that third-party consumer cloud service providers can achieve effective and free interoperability with the software and hardware components controlled by the group through its iOS and iPadOS operating systems, and enjoy the same level of access as Apple's iCloud service.
The agency stated in its announcement that evidence suggests other consumer cloud service providers cannot operate on an equal footing with iCloud, as they appear unable to access the same components utilized or provided by Apple's services.
Apple said in a statement on Wednesday that it has complied with its obligations under the Digital Markets Act and is prepared to address the agency's concerns.
The company added that this new issue concerning iCloud was never raised during its extensive discussions with the European Commission regarding interoperability matters.
This investigation marks the first probe launched by the Italian regulator under the Digital Markets Act, which permits national authorities to conduct preliminary inquiries.
The regulatory body stated that the findings of the investigation will be submitted to the European Commission.
Comments