Apple’s iMessage will not be subject to the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations requiring interoperability with other messaging platforms, following the conclusion of an investigation by the regulator, according to a Bloomberg report.
The investigation concluded that Apple’s iMessage and Microsoft Bing platforms do not hold a dominant enough position to be subject to the DMA’s rules for services provided by big tech’s so-called digital “gatekeepers,” such as Apple, Meta, Google, Amazon, and TikTok.
Apple and Microsoft both said they welcomed the decision in separate statements following the announcement.
The new EU Digital Markets Act (DMA) mandates that firms it defines as “gatekeepers,” must open their platforms to rivals. Apple has long claimed that iMessage usage falls below the DMA’s usage threshold for gatekeeper status.
The DMA could have required Apple to make changes to iMessage to make it available on other platforms. This would have meant that Meta apps like WhatsApp or Messenger could request to interoperate with Apple’s iMessage framework, and Apple would have been forced to comply within the EU.
However, the EU probe found that iMessage falls outside the legislation because it is not widely used by businesses. The ruling in Apple’s favor follows a five-month market investigation by the European Commission.
The EU’s DMA will still require Apple to make major changes to its App Store ecosystem in the EU. iOS 17.4, which is scheduled to be released in March, will bring changes that allow iPhone and iPad users to download and install apps via alternative app marketplaces outside of the official App Store.