Messenger for the elite. Google wants Apple to make iMessage available to everyone
November 8, 22:49 Share:
Apple may be forced to make iMessage available to everyone (Photo: Wirestock/Depositphotos)
Google and Europe's largest telecoms operators are asking European regulators to force Apple to make its iMessage messaging service more accessible to all users.
Google executives and the chief executives of Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, Telefónica and Orange have written to the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, demanding it review whether iMessage falls under the new Digital Markets Act. ( DMA).
If the law applies to the service, Apple will have to provide unhindered access to the service to customers who do not use the company's platforms macOS, iOS, iPadOS, etc.. In particular, the service must be compatible with messaging services from competitors.
The signatories claim that providing access “ will benefit European consumers and businesses”. They note that users with devices on other platforms are forced to use paid SMS messages to communicate with iMessage clients, while in-app messaging is not charged.
“Through iMessage, business users can only send rich messages to iOS users and must rely on traditional SMS for all other end users,” the company group said in a letter quoted by the Financial Times.
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Apple, in turn, assures that its messenger is not subject to the new law. The company also notes that consumers today have access to a wide range of messaging programs and can easily use many of them without being limited to iMessage.
“iMessage is designed and marketed for personal communications among consumers, and we look forward to explaining to the [European] Commission why iMessage goes beyond DMA,” the company said.
The European Commission said that the investigation into iMessage is now ongoing.. The commission must provide its findings regarding the service by February 2024.
As NV Techno previously wrote, three years ago Google itself was working on creating a Chat service, which would replace traditional SMS on Android devices, as iMessage did.
Apple launched its free instant messaging service back in 2011. It is available on all Apple devices ( iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Mac) and completely free to use as long as you have a valid Apple ID account.
If you don't have an Apple device and an Apple ID, to communicate with iMessage clients for free, you'll have to use a third-party messaging app that supports the service ( Telegram, WhatsApp, Skype, etc.. etc.) or the web version of iMessage ( An Apple ID account is required to register). If you don't want to use a third-party app or the web version of iMessage, you can ask your iMessage contacts to send you messages via SMS.
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