The European Union continues to take measures against the efforts of both Apple and Google to deny space to their competitors. Most recently, the EU enacted the DMA, or Digital Markets Act. In this sense, Apple’s app market App Store and browser Safari have been obliged to allow alternatives. Apple will start supporting browser and app store alternatives with iOS 17.4. However, Apple’s iPhone messaging app iMessage will not be subject to the EU’s DMA rules.
Why is the iPhone iMessage app exempt from EU DMA rules?
Apple’s iMessage app, once used only for messaging between iPhones, has been exempted from EU DMA rules. But how did the popular messaging app get exempt from these restrictions? According to the details, iMessage is heavily used in the US and North America.
In the European Union, iPhone users prefer to use WhatsApp and Telegram. The lack of popularity of iMessage, especially in EU countries, has made the app exempt from these rules.
However, there is a possibility that Apple will include alternatives to iMessage in iOS 17.4. The main reason for this is that today it will become clear whether the app will be subject to EU rules. The messaging app, which was once used by iPhone users, has long been available on Android, which means it also supports regular SMS. If an Android user sends a message to an iPhone user, it arrives in a green chat bubble.
Again, if an iPhone user uses an SMS service instead of iMessage, this also goes to the other party with a green bubble. Google has long criticized Apple’s color distinction. Apple, on the other hand, says that it made this distinction to protect users because the iMessage application has different encryption.
With the DMA, the European Union is trying to prevent monopolization within the borders of the union. For this reason, Apple had to set aside rules such as installing apps outside the app market. However, it is necessary to know that these strict practices will continue outside the EU.
