The European Commission decided not to require Apple to further break down its barriers between iMessage and rival messaging services.
It would seem Apple’s decision to add RCS support helped persuade the European regulator that no additional changes are necessary.
EU won’t crack down on iMessage
The European Union’s Digital Markets Act is intended to regulate Big Tech. It labels a range of widely used software and services as “gatekeepers,” and requires these to be more open to competition.
The European Commission had been considering using the DMA to require changes to Apple’s Messages application since at least 2022, and formally began an investigation into the possibility after the landmark legislation passed in 2023.
However, on Tuesday, the EC announced:
“The Commission has adopted decisions closing four market investigations that were launched on 5 September 2023 under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), finding that Apple and Microsoft should not be designated as gatekeepers for the following core platform services: Apple’s messaging service iMessage, Microsoft’s online search engine Bing, web browser Edge and online advertising service Microsoft Advertising.”
iPhone support for RCS could be pivotal
It’s quite possible that Apple’s plan to add support for Rich Communication Services to the Messages app is what caused the EU to make this decision.
RCS support will enable iPhones and Androids to communicate more effectively, with more of the bells and whistles associated with Apple’s proprietary iMessage platform — the intent of the DMA. The change is coming this year, quite possibly in iOS 18.
While that’s a significant modification, the EU decision to not require additional modifications to iMessage means that it will not have to interoperate with WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, etc.
