EU won't force Apple to 'open up' iMessage to other platforms

The European Commission, at the conclusion of a regulatory investigation, has said that Apple's iMessage will not be defined as a "core platform service" under the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Details

The investigation concluded that iMessage and Microsoft's Bing platform do not occupy a sufficiently dominant position to fall under the strict rules of the DMA. This means that the services will not be subject to tough new obligations, including the requirement to ensure compatibility with other platforms.

The compatibility rules would have meant that third-party apps such as WhatsApp or Messenger could request interoperability with the iMessage platform, and Apple would have been forced to comply within the EU.

However, the EU investigation found that iMessage falls outside the scope of the legislation as it is not widely used by businesses. Both Apple and Microsoft said they welcomed the decision.

Meanwhile, the Safari browser, iOS operating system and App Store still have to comply with the new EU requirements.

Source: Bloomberg