According to the latest reports, the European Union's antitrust investigation into the iMessage platform may turn in Apple's favor. It means that Apple may not need to make iMessage interoperable with rival chat apps like Facebook Messenger, Telegram, and WhatsApp. This is really good news for Apple.
iMessage may not get hit with the EU's regulation as it isn't a dominant messaging platform in Europe
Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft have been under investigation by the European Union under the purview of the DMA (Digital Markets Act), which is a part of antitrust legislation that aims to improve competition by removing some barriers put forth by technology companies that stop users from moving to a different platform. The DMA applies to market-dominating platforms, like the App Store, Google Play Store, and WhatsApp. Apple is set to win the argument in the case of iMessage as it isn't a dominating messaging app in Europe.
According to a report from Bloomberg (via 9To5Mac), the European Union has concluded the investigation and found that iMessage isn't popular enough with business users to warrant being hit by the regulation (DMA). The five-month investigation will conclude in February 2024, and Apple is set to win the argument for iMessage. There is a high probability that Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp will not get the reprieve and may have to regulate themselves and become compatible with other chat apps.
If you're confused about what business users have to do with iMessage, WhatsApp offers business messaging services where businesses and stores can interact with consumers and offer them the ability to purchase their products and services and get after-sales service and support, which is another lock-in. iMessage doesn't offer such services, and that helps it get the reprieve from the EU's DMA regulation. Recently, Apple also announced that it will make iPhones compatible with RCS in 2024.
