Apple's iMessage gets a reprieve from EU digital gatekeeper law
Both Apple's iMessage and Microsoft's Bing appear to have been removed from compliance with the EU's Digital Markets Act while the company's protests are investigated.
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) was really created specifically to target Apple, Google, Amazon and others. Apple, however, has protested that its iMessage service is too small in Europe to come under the law's conditions, however.
Despite that following an earlier statement by Apple saying exactly the opposite -- that iMessage does qualify -- the EU has reportedly removed it from the services concerned. It's done the same thing with Bing, following a similar protest from Microsoft.
"We remain very concerned about the privacy and data security risks the DMA poses for our users," an Apple spokesperson told AppleInsider. "Our focus will be on how we mitigate these impacts and continue to deliver the very best products and services to our European customers."
According to the Financial Times, six firms ranging from Apple to TikTok, and some 20 of their services, will be affected by the DMA. Each firm will be required to make their services interoperable with rivals, and also to link to their competitors.
The DMA entered into law in November 2022, and became applicable from May 2023. However, it is still being implemented and one area seemingly still under discussion is precisely which services are to be affected.
With two unnamed sources confirming that Bing and iMessage have been removed, at least temporarily, the Financial Times says that the EU will be focusing on:
- Amazon Marketplace
- Apple's App Store
- Meta's WhatsApp
- Google Search
- Google YouTube
The companies concerned are known in the DMA as "gatekeepers." The EU's definition of a gatekeeper is a firm that has at least 45 million users for messaging or social media in the territory.
They must also have at least 10,000 annual business users, and a yearly turnover of more than $8.2 billion.
Gatekeeper firms who do not comply with the DMA will face EU investigations and potentially the enforcement of "behavioral or structural remedies." The firms could also be fined 10% of worldwide turnover, or 20% for repeat offenders.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
Lots of alternatives to iMessage - Signal, Telegram, Discord, LINE…
Because Android allow third party app stores and there are already over a dozen app stores on Android. Also, Android allows for sideloading. About the only issue the EU have with Apple App Store is that it is the only way to get apps installed into iOS. The EU don't count jailbreaking or having to pay for a developer account (and learning Xcode) as other ways to install apps. Even the 15/30% commission is not an issue for the EU.
I saw an article today that EuroHPC has built another supercomputer using AMD EPYC processors. I’ve previously said the US should retaliate against German automakers (maybe a tariff or force them to open their gatekeeper infotainment systems). Maybe they should stop selling processors to the EU unless they’re only used in consumer PCs. Let’s see EU countries try to build there supercomputers without help from the US.
All apple have to do is to only allow third party app stores in the EU (for now). If developers want their apps to be available in the rest of the countries, they still need to put it in the Apple App Store. The EU can't force Apple to allow third party app stores that are allowed in the EU, to be in the US or any other country. This would be Apple's choice, not the EU. Or if an EU third party app store also wants to be in any other country, Apple could charge a commission on their sales through that app store in any non EU countries (or countries that don't require Apple to open up iOS to other app stores.). Now if you were a developer, why would you put your app in a third party EU app store when you still have to have your app in the Apple App Store, if you want to be able to sell to the rest of the World.
How come an EU company can have a monopoly on a specific industry and yet the EU isn’t doing anything to rein them in or allow other startups to compete? I thought the EU was dead set against any company having some sort of a monopoly?
The hypocrisy of the EU on full display yet again.
The only developers that would still use their own store would be those that are doing it for reasons other than money. Like bypassing Apple restrictions to mine your data. And there will be plenty of researchers (who love to dissect anything Apple) that’ll love testing these Apps and exposing everything they’re doing. It’ll be a PR nightmare not only for these stores but also for the EU who forced them on consumers. I imagine a class action against the EU will inevitably be launched on behalf of users getting their data mined.
it wouldn’t surprise me if Apple did some of the testing themselves, as proof to show it was a bad decision by the EU.
In fairness to the EU, they have been asleep at the wheel with regard to China, and will be forced to deal with China's mercantilism wrt EV imports into the EU, but at least they are beginning to acknowledge that.
https://europe.autonews.com/automakers/chinese-ev-imports-threaten-europe-car-company-profits
It was the US that had the monopoly but didn't want to take the financial risks involved for EUV development.
ASML (in tandem chipmakers) took that risk and reaped the rewards. That's basically it in a nutshell.
The US is free to compete but it will take billions of government funds to pull it off.
No problem there. Subsidies are all the rage in the US now.
China is actually doing just that so competition is definitely coming.
Most of the world is probably doing the same.
The US does NOT have a veto on anything. There are anti-sanctions laws in both the EU and China precisely to prevent this kind of activity. The Chinese AFSL was a direct result of US extraterritorial sanctions. The EU Blocking Statute was drafted for similar reasons.
They mostly haven't been used for political reasons. Nothing more.
ASML wants to do more business with Chinese customers (a huge part of its business).
It is the Dutch government, by not allowing the export licence, which is preventing sales. This, under US pressure, but no veto has ever existed.
I am always reminded every time I see a cookie warning.
EU should mandate all browsers to have support of "tracking" features so they can see where their cookies are being stored and offer a way to block them. Don't pop up every time I visit a new site or that cookie expired. It's disruptive to a natural web experience.
Now with the app stores, they are clearly not thinking in best interest of security. Viruses and malware are spread through third parties who convince them to download outside the app stores. It's very rare for app stores to have them as they have curators and automators to detect for code that suggest malicious use. I have seen so many people get their accounts hacked because of that. They are convinced that in order to view a video, they have to download a program. The EU should be focused on lowering the commission, not opening of third party stores where Apple or Google have no control over quality or security of apps.
ASML should be able to sell to whomever they want to, at this point in time, 50 years after Nixon and Kissinger opening up trade with China it’s too late that ship has sailed on. You have a competitor that isn’t going away, you have two choices. Roll up your sleeves (à la Apple) and get busy within your own country, and start rebuilding the infrastructure that you (America) allowed to deteriorate by selling out, for controllable cheap labor overseas.
Cutting off ASML is just a short term brain dead solution China or Korea or Japan will just design around it in time and it ain’t gonna take much time to do so, Apple designed around Intel, in 13 years beginning to end, the Chinese, in particular are not going to take more than 10 years to design around ASML.
So many things that have happen have nothing to do with China except indirectly, where is that in country high speed rail in America? why is the current rail system stuck in the 1940s? Why is it that, becoming a merchant marine is not a viable career as an American? Why are all those merchant ships registered to some other foreign country? The Americans in the mirror pursuing short term profit, in the decision making positions are responsible, righting the ship internally, has nothing to do with China. See the Brexit UK for America’s future down the road if the titanic (USA) isn’t turned around. The problems are all internal and are mainly cultural/political barriers.
P S. The Chinese paid attention to Oak Ridge, Tennessee. They have built and are testing a Thorium Reactor and they have plans for building a second bigger one, I suppose that’s gonna be their fault too?