Italy’s competition authority says it has opened a formal investigation into Apple under the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), focusing on iCloud interoperability for cloud storage services. The regulator says the inquiry is aimed at whether Apple complies with DMA obligations requiring that third-party providers of consumer cloud services can interoperate effectively with Apple’s iOS and iPadOS platforms, and that they do so free of charge. The DMA also requires equal access to Apple’s iCloud service. According to the Italian authority, it has evidence suggesting that other consumer cloud services may not be “placed on an equal footing” with iCloud because they do not appear to have access to the same software features available to Apple’s own service. One specific concern highlighted is that Apple does not allow alternative cloud storage services to use iOS and iPadOS features that enable users to perform a full backup of device data. The probe is described as the first of its kind initiated by the Italian regulator under the DMA. The authority says it will share its findings with the European Commission, which enforces the DMA, and that companies found in breach can face fines up to 10% of worldwide annual revenue.