Apple argues that iMessage is not sufficiently popular to be classified as a “gatekeeper” under EU law, the Financial Times reports.
The discussion comes ahead of the publication of the first list of services to be regulated by the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The legislation introduces new rules that apply to tech giants that meet its “gatekeeper” criteria and force them to open up their various services and platforms to other companies and developers. For example, Apple could be forced to allow third-party companies and rival apps like Meta’s WhatsApp to integrate directly with iMessage.
In recent correspondence with the European Commission, Apple argued that iMessage does not meet the number of users at which the DMA’s rules apply, and should not be obliged to comply with it as a result. Analysts estimate that iMessage has as many as one billion users around the world, but Apple has not disclosed any official numbers about the service for several years, or how many users it has in Europe specifically. Whether iMessage will be included on the EU’s initial list of gatekeeper services will depend on how it defines the market in which it operates.
The DMA could prompt similar major changes to the way in which the App Store, FaceTime, and Siri work over the next couple of years. Apple is expected to add support for sideloading apps from outside the App Store on iPhones and iPads in Europe via an update to iOS 17 later this year due to the DMA’s requirements.
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