iMessage, Microsoft Bing, and Edge Will Avoid EU’s DMA Regulation

The EU Commission announced today that it’s now done investigating whether Apple’s iMessage and Microsoft’s Bing, Edge, and Advertising services should be regulated under its new Digital Markets Act (DMA). After five months of investigations, the EU regulator has determined that all these services should not be considered “core platform services” that need to be opened up to improve competition in Europe.

Even though these four online services met the quantitative thresholds set by the EU’s DMA, both Apple and Microsoft sent “rebuttal” arguments to the Commission last year to explain why their services should not be qualified as gateways. And it apparently worked.

“Following a thorough assessment of all arguments, taking into account input by relevant stakeholders, and after hearing the Digital Markets Advisory Committee, the Commission found that iMessage, Bing, Edge and Microsoft Advertising do not qualify as gatekeeper services,” the EU regulator said today. “The Commission will continue to monitor the developments on the market with respect to these services, should any substantial changes arise.”

The conclusion to the EU’s market investigations doesn’t change the fact that Apple and Microsoft have both been designed as “gatekeepers” that will need to open up some of their core platform services. The list of affected platforms includes Windows, LinkedIn, iOS, the App Store, and Safari.

Microsoft has already started previewing the Windows changes that will make the OS compliant with the EU’s DMA. Windows users will be able to uninstall more inbox apps including Microsoft Edge, and the company is also opening up Windows Search and the Widgets board to third-party search and news providers.

Apple also detailed what to expect from the upcoming iOS 17.4 update coming in early March. EU users will be able to install alternative app stores, use alternative payment systems in App Store apps (if developers implement them), and install web browsers that don’t use Apple’s WebKit engine. Apple will also finally authorize cloud gaming apps, which means that we may finally have native apps for Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming on iOS.