Apple: must iMessage comply with the DMA?

Google recently partnered with four network providers (Orange, Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom and Telefonica) to warn the European Commission about iMessage. According to their letter, there is “no doubt” Apple’s instant messaging service is a “gatekeeper” as defined by the Digital Market Act (DMA).

Starting from March 2024, the regulation will enact stringent requirements for digital services belonging to industry giants with over 45 million monthly users (or 10,000 professional customers) in the EU. In September 2023, the European Commission launched an inquiry to determine whether the DMA should apply to iMessage. Even though Apple does not release its European user numbers, the latter are very likely to exceed 45 million.

In the letter, iMessage is criticized for its incompatibility with the RCS protocol used by Android, Google and all network providers, which goes against the DMA. Using iMessage with an Android device entails limiting oneself to the SMS standard. This makes a number of features unavailable, such as message encryption, the “read” receipt and high-quality video streaming.

Google and the four providers are therefore asking to Commission to make Apple’s iMessage interoperable with Android and the RCS standard. They thus hope to break Apple’s closed iOS, one of the brand’s main marketing assets.