Apple’s messaging service iMessage may escape regulation under the EU Digital Markets Act. According to the EU, the messaging service would not be popular enough among business users, so it would not have to comply with the regulations.
The DMA has been keeping Big Tech quite busy lately. The regulations require popular IT services and platforms to comply with a set of regulations on interoperability, fairness and privacy. This is to ensure competition between them and prevent market dominance within the EU.
Initially, Apple’s iMessage also seemed to be covered by these regulations, but now that may not be the case after all. The EU, Bloomberg writes, would have concluded that the service, unlike competitor WhatsApp, is not very popular among business users. Therefore, regulation would not need to take place.
If Apple’s iMessage did come under the Digital Markets Act, it would have forced Apple to open up its own platform to other (mobile) operating systems as well.
The tech giant recently anticipated this, announcing it would upgrade the app from text messages to RCS messages.
Apple does go to European court
Despite the fact that iMessage now appears to be not regulated, Apple is not entirely escaping the DMA’s demands. It does include the Apple App Store, Safari browser and iOS mobile operating system.
The tech giant is resisting the measures imposed on it and recently filed a case for this at the European Court of Justice.
Competitors such as TikTok owner ByteDance and Meta also went to the European court for this.
Also read: Apple goes to European court over Digital Markets Act