Google, telecom heavyweights push for interoperability on Apple’s iMessage

Google and the largest EU telecommunications operators called on the European Commission to designate Apple’s iMessage under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which would oblige it to grant interoperability with other messaging services, in a letter seen by Euractiv.

The signatories of the letter dated 3 November and addressed to Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton are senior executives from Google, Orange, Deutsche Telekom, Telefónica, Vodafone, Element and Wire.

The initiative urged the EU executive to designate Apple’s iMessage, a default app on iPhones and iPads, as a core platform service under the DMA, stressing that the messaging service “meets the quantitative thresholds” set out in the EU law.

“Apple’s “Messages” application, which contains the iMessages service, is pre-installed and set as the default mobile messaging application for all iOS users (>35% of European users). Apple’s restrictive and foreclosing practice, forces iOS users to download and install third-party applications, not native to the device,” the letter reads.

The letter was not co-signed by Meta, which has two messaging apps falling under the scope of the DMA: Facebook’s Messenger and WhatsApp.

Digital gatekeepers

In September, the European Commission published the list of gatekeepers and their services that will have to respect a series of ex-ante dos and don’ts. On Apple’s iMessage and Microsoft’s Bing, two of the most notable absentees, the European executive launched an investigation to verify whether they should be covered as well.

The signatories argue this should be the case since “iMessage only enables group conversations or enriched messaging between Apple users”, making it a gateway for business users to reach end users.

The designation would mean that, among other obligations, Apple should make iMessage interoperable with other messaging services upon request.

Apple is already designated as a gatekeeper, and its services currently covered under the DMA are the AppStore, the internet browser Safari and the operating system iOS. The iPhone maker declined to reply to Euractiv’s request for comment but pointed out a document published in September, summarising Apple’s view.

Apple argues that according to its data, the “usage of iMessage is negligible compared to other messaging services in the Union”.

However, while iPhones are not the most common smartphones in the EU, their market penetration correlates to income, meaning they reach a majority share in the wealthier Northern European countries.

Apple’s rivals argue that the company has refused to adopt the industry standard for SMS adopted by other operating systems, preferring to build its own closed communication system specific to iOS users.

As a result, “millions of users both in the Small Business segment (via direct iMessage use) and the Large Enterprise segment (via Apple’s Messages for Business gateway) [are] depending on Apple’s preinstalled messaging platform”.

In the same document, Apple argues that “iMessage is not primarily designed as a business-to-consumer [B2C] channel” and emphasises iMessage’s “lack of importance for B2C communication”.

According to a source informed on the matter who requested to remain anonymous, this initiative shows that Google has a business interest in forcing Apple’s iMessage interoperability with Android.

The Commission’s investigation on whether iMessage should meet the DMA’s obligations is expected to be completed by February 2024. Euractiv understands the EU executive currently has limited capacity, hence the letter could be seen as a way of shaping the enforcement priorities.

In the document pointed out by Apple, the Commission took note of Apple’s argument and indicated that the ongoing investigation would determine if iMessage’s alleged limited scale was a sufficient justification for it to not be included under the Digital Markets Act.

[Edited by Luca Bertuzzi]

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