Google looks to European regulators to force Apple to open iMessage

Google is starting to get fed up with Apple’s aversion to Rich Communication Services (RCS).

According to the Financial Times, the tech giant and some of Europe’s telecom operators have turned to the European Commission to make iMessage a “core” service, which would require Apple to make the service compatible with competitors.

Currently, the European Commission is looking into whether iMessage should be on a list of services that comply with the new Digital Markets Act and, therefore, would connect with apps like WhatsApp.

The letter sent to the commission, reported by the Financial Times, is backed by a Google senior vice president and executives from Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, Telefónic and Orange.

However, Apple has argued that iMessage shouldn’t be included in the new rules as users do not pay for its use, and its devices can be used without the messaging app, according to documents that the European Commission released. Further, the documents stated that Apple said, “iMessage does not constitute an important gateway in the union for business users to reach end users due to its small scale relative to other messaging services.”

Despite Apple’s claims, the commission believes that iMessage affects Apple’s revenues as the app is pre-installed and is only available on Apple products. And FT reports that antitrust regulators say that iMessage is an important element of Apple’s ecosystem.

Google has been pretty loud about how it wants Apple to adopt RCS. The company has started the #GetTheMessage campaign and has gone on record calling Apple a bully and saying that its methods are a form of peer pressure.

A decision from the Commission is expected to arrive before February 2024.

While not the same body as the European Commission, the European Parliament previously forced Apple to adopt the USB-C port in its smartphones, resulting in Apple bringing the technology to its iPhone 15 series.

Source: Financial Times