Google and European telecom groups are pushing EU regulators to designate iMessage a “core” service, forcing Apple to make its communications platform interoperable with other chat services, reports the Financial Times.
The new EU Digital Markets Act (DMA) mandates that firms it defines as “gatekeepers,” must open their platforms to rivals. In order for the EU to designate iMessage as a core service, it hinges on whether iMessage is big enough in Europe to count. Apple has long claimed that iMessage usage falls below the DMA’s usage threshold for gatekeeper status.
The Financial Times says Google has joined with executives from carriers Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica and Orange in writting to the EU. The letter to Thierry Breton, EU internal market commissioner, claims that “enriched messaging” is only available to Apple users.
“It is paramount that businesses can reach all their customers taking advantage of modern communications services with enriched messaging features,” says the letter. “Through iMessage, business users are only able to send enriched messages to iOS users and must rely on traditional SMS for all the other end users.”
Consequently, the “fundamental nature” of iMessage as “an important gateway between business users and their customers is without doubt justification for Apple’s designation as gatekeeper for its iMessage service.”
Apple referred the publication to a previous statement on the issue.
“Consumers today have access to a wide variety of messaging apps, and often use many at once, which reflects how easy it is to switch between them,” says Apple’s previous statement. “iMessage is designed and marketed for personal consumer communications, and we look forward to explaining to the commission why iMessage is outside the scope of the DMA.”
The EU has until February 2024 to decide on a verdict.