Google now tries getting EU to force open iMessage
Google has been trying to get Apple to let it in to iMessage for years, but sees a new opportunity through the European Union's Digital Markets Act.
Apple's iMessage
Apple's iMessage is on a billion active devices, and Google's messaging systems are not. At heart, that's why Google has asked Apple to open up iMessages, then alternately mocked and begged it over adding support for a rival RCS system -- which doesn't work, and Google itself doesn't fully support.
The new EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), however, mandates that firms it defines as gatekeepers, must open their platforms to rivals. That would be perfect for Google, except it all turns on whether iMessage is big enough in Europe to count.
Outside of the US, WhatsApp is vastly more commonly used than Messages, so Apple has tried to claim that it falls below the DMA's usage threshold for gatekeeper status.
According to the Financial Times, Google has jointly written to the EU with executives from carriers Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica and Orange. The letter to Thierry Breton, EU internal market commissioner, claims that "enriched messaging" is only available between 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."
It's not clear whether Google mentions RCS in the full letter, but it also does not appear to acknowledge that "enriched messages" can be sent via WhatsApp.
Apple reportedly declined to comment, but 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 told the Financial Times only that the investigation into iMessages is continuing. The EU has until February 2024 to decide a verdict.
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Comments
Instead of dozens privacy-hungry third-party chat apps partnering with all sorts of foreign-government agencies, we should have one protocol and end-to-end encryption.
Goodbye, user audience fragmentation. Goodbye, vendor lock-in. Goodbye, blurry videos and pictures between iDrones and Androids. Hello, delivery and read receipts and typing indicators.
It is sad that we have to rely on European wisdom to fight American greed these days.
I understand completely Apple's stance on using iMessage as a lock in.... But, personally, it's not the only Apple feature that keeps me locked in. Everyone I know who uses iMessage uses WhatsApp too. But I believe that Apple are missing a huge opportunity in being able to force WhatsApp into obscurity, and being able to offer a decent messaging service that's not part of the Google / Facebook ecosystem.
Look at Apple. They have always been outnumbered by Windows (Microsoft) and Android (Google) by a vast and seemingly insurmountable amount in terms of installed base and number of units sold. But Apple chose to compete anyway by leveraging the things that they do best, one of which is to deliver an integrated hardware, software, and services ecosystem and the other is by building high performance, highly functional, attractive, easy to use, and highly desirable products that people absolutely love.
You know, despite being behind the 8-ball on paper and in pie charts, Apple has absolutely kicked ass when it comes to profitability and customer loyalty. They paid for their success through innovation, working smarter, and never giving up. That’s the way winners do it.
Apple chose to compete. Google chose to call daddy.
I’m simply amazed that the EU regulators can live with themselves after having placed such an astronomical demand on the makers of participation trophies.
Translation: spam. Businesses want to be able to send spam more easily. That’s what this letter is about. Who has ever actually asked for “enriched messages” from companies? And the spam will also cost the user money if they have a capped data plan. Sounds great.
WhatsApp are the ones who should REALLY be worried if Google gets its spammy way here. Being forced to allow Google Spamvert-messages will RUIN WhatsApp’s popularity.
I hate using WhatsApp to be honest
But it’s impossible to use iMessage due to Android incompatibility for group chats