Google has reportedly urged European regulators to open up Apple's iMessage for broader accessibility across all platforms, as disclosed in a Financial Times report on Wednesday. The EU Commission had previously noted Apple's control over iMessage in September, and Google's letter echoes this sentiment, expressing agreement with the concerns raised.
Currently, European regulators are scrutinizing whether Apple should be mandated to comply with the Digital Markets Act, a measure that would require iMessage to seamlessly integrate with various messaging platforms, including Android and WhatsApp. In a letter viewed by Financial Times reporters, a Google senior vice president, along with telecom executives, contends that Apple's services meet the criteria outlined in the act and should be subject to regulation to "benefit European consumers and businesses."
The distinct blue text bubbles of Apple's iMessage are identified as a crucial element in maintaining customer loyalty. In 2019, Samsung initiated an anti-bullying campaign using GIFs to counter instances where individuals were targeted for having green text bubbles.
The Digital Markets Act defines gatekeepers as "large online platforms that provide an important gateway between business users and consumers, whose position can grant them the power to create a bottleneck in the digital economy." Google's letter asserts that this fundamentally describes iMessage.
While Google criticizes Apple's perceived anticompetitive practices, it also faces scrutiny from regulators. The Digital Markets Act designates Google Play, Google Maps, Chrome, and other services as gatekeepers. Additionally, Google is confronting antitrust lawsuits in the United States.
The EU Commission acknowledged receipt of the letter but refrained from providing further comments. Both Google and Apple have yet to respond to Gizmodo's request for comment. Apple has previously argued that iMessage does not constitute a significant gateway "due to its small scale relative to other messaging services." In 2022, the estimated number of iMessage users was 1.3 billion, while WhatsApp boasted 2.4 billion users during the same period. Apple emphasized that consumers have access to a wide array of messaging apps and often use multiple simultaneously, illustrating the ease of transitioning between them.
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