Apple’s iMessage App May Avoid EU Regulation

The European Commission is reportedly not planning to add Apple’s iMessage app to its list of core platform services that need to be regulated under its Digital Markets Act (DMA). According to a report from Bloomberg, the European Commission considers iMessage to be not popular enough among business users to deserve regulation.

“In order to fall under the scope of the rules, a service must be deemed an “important gateway” for business users. EU enforcers now consider this is not the case for iMessage,” people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.

In practice, iMessage being recognized as a core platform service by the EU Commission would force Apple to make the service interoperable with other messaging apps such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. The EU Commission’s iMessage investigation will conclude in February, but Apple has privately argued that iMessage should not be regulated in Europe as it’s not popular enough in the region.

Even though iMessage ends up avoiding DMA regulation, iOS, the App Store, and Safari have already been recognized as core platform services by the European Commission. Starting next year, Apple will be forced to allow iOS users to install apps from other sources than the App Store. The company will also need to make changes to make it easier for iOS users to choose other default apps than Apple’s.