{"id":26750,"date":"2024-02-13T17:47:30","date_gmt":"2024-02-13T12:17:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/apple-wont-be-forced-to-open-up-imessage-by-eu\/"},"modified":"2024-02-13T17:47:30","modified_gmt":"2024-02-13T12:17:30","slug":"apple-wont-be-forced-to-open-up-imessage-by-eu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/apple-wont-be-forced-to-open-up-imessage-by-eu\/","title":{"rendered":"Apple won\u2019t be forced to open up iMessage by EU"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Apple\u2019s iMessage is not being designated as a \u201ccore platform service\u201d under the European Union\u2019s Digital Markets Act (DMA), the European Commission announced today. The decision means the service won\u2019t be hit with tough new obligations, including a requirement to offer interoperability with other messaging services.\u00a0The Commission also opted against designating Microsoft\u2019s Edge browser, Bing search engine, and advertising business as core platform services.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cFollowing a thorough assessment of all arguments, taking into account input by relevant stakeholders, and after hearing the Digital Markets Advisory Committee, the Commission found that iMessage, Bing, Edge and Microsoft Advertising do not qualify as gatekeeper services,\u201d the EU\u2019s press release reads.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The decision is the culmination of a five month investigation which the Commission opened when it published its list of 22 regulated services last September. Although it designated Apple\u2019s App Store, Safari browser, and iOS operating system as core platform services, it held off on making a final decision on iMessage until an investigation could be completed. A similar investigation into iPadOS is ongoing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Meta, meanwhile, has seen two of its messaging platforms, WhatsApp and Messenger<\/a>, designated as core platform services under the DMA, and has been working to make them interoperable with third-party services. The company recently outlined how WhatsApp\u2019s interoperability will work, explaining how its users will have to opt-in to receiving communications from external messaging apps, and that these messages will then appear in a separate inbox. Companies that want to interoperate with WhatsApp will have to sign an agreement with Meta and follow its terms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Although iMessage has avoided the burden of complying with rules that come with the official DMA designation, the period of regulatory scrutiny coincided with Apple announcing support for the cross-platform RCS messaging standard on iPhones, which Google has been pushing for. In what seems unlikely to be a coincidence, Apple made the RCS announcement on November 16th, the deadline for appealing the European Commission\u2019s DMA designation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Apple has made it clear that it\u2019ll support the cross-platform standard alongside iMessage; it\u2019s not replacing the company\u2019s proprietary messaging service. \u201c[RCS] will work alongside iMessage, which will continue to be the best and most secure messaging experience for Apple users,\u201d\u00a0Apple spokesperson Jacqueline Roy said at the time. The distinction between blue and green bubbles will remain, except now, green bubbles will signify messages sent over feature-rich RCS rather than SMS.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Apple\u2019s Safari browser, iOS operating system, and App Store still have to comply with the regulation\u2019s strictest requirements when DMA comes fully into force on March 7th. Apple recently announced a range of changes it\u2019s making to comply with the regulation, which include allowing alternative app stores and browser engines other than WebKit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But critics have been unhappy with how Apple is going about complying with the DMA, particularly with a Core Technology Fee that\u2019ll see developers charged \u20ac0.50 per download, every year, even when distributing apps on alternative app stores (though the first million downloads are exempt). Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney called Apple\u2019s plans \u201chot garbage\u201d and \u201ca new instance of malicious compliance\u201d while Spotify said the new fee is \u201cextortion, plain and simple,\u201d and that the compliance plan adds up to \u201ca complete and total farce.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n