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EU will require Apple to open up iMessage (2022)

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Re: EU will require Apple to open up iMessage (2022)

#181

This sounds nice, but when you really think about the consequences it really is not. Isn't this going to kill features that only some apps have or offer? What if one day Signal, Telegram or WhatsApp want to implement something "different" that could make messaging better but this policy is making things harder to implement because it would be impossible to make it interoperate with other messaging apps? I don't get w…

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This is not industry-wide standardization/requirements, it is targeted specifically at dominant players[1].

[1]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34996473

Re: EU will require Apple to open up iMessage (2022)

#182

This sounds nice, but when you really think about the consequences it really is not. Isn't this going to kill features that only some apps have or offer? What if one day Signal, Telegram or WhatsApp want to implement something "different" that could make messaging better but this policy is making things harder to implement because it would be impossible to make it interoperate with other messaging apps? I don't get w…

[flagged]

There should be a browser plug-in that makes ChatGPT check whether your comment is against HN guidelines, upholds standards for a good discussion, and whether the argument is sound or not.

Issue is ChatGPT is too politically biased for many discussions unfortunately.

Re: EU will require Apple to open up iMessage (2022)

#183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I imagine they'd setup a basic protocol for interoperability of simple messages and then each client can build anything they want on top? Similar to other protocols. At least that's what I am hoping for

iMessage already has that, by falling back to SMS.

The problem is that SMS is nowadays a poor fallback, lacking support for a number of widespread features that are part of the EU's required baseline for interoperability.

Re: EU will require Apple to open up iMessage (2022)

#184

The source article [1] claims that " the largest messaging services (such as Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger or iMessage) will have to open up and interoperate with smaller messaging platforms" I am very intrigued to see how the various platforms will enable such features in software terms - WhatsApp recently allowed the usage of proxies via their platform, and there is talk of Apple maintaining the Made for iPhone prog…

Here in Europe, creativity interpreting the law is usually rewarded with creativity setting up fines.

Re: EU will require Apple to open up iMessage (2022)

#185

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, apple hardware is better. And now software will be better too.

Overall the experience will be worse. No doubt about that. Features like the Privacy Nutrition Scorecard (I can't remember what it's actually called) won't be nearly as powerful, for example, because other giant multi-national corporations will just create their own app stores to avoid playing by Apple's rules and "paying the Apple tax", which is something that they have to pay and end consumers don't. I.e. it's just…

>which is something that they have to pay and end consumers don't. I.e. it's just a payment negotiation between big corporations.

I'm sure the execs sell a yacht to pay their Apple taxes target than pass on costs as they do for everything else. /s

Re: EU will require Apple to open up iMessage (2022)

#186
post #174

This sounds nice, but when you really think about the consequences it really is not. Isn't this going to kill features that only some apps have or offer? What if one day Signal, Telegram or WhatsApp want to implement something "different" that could make messaging better but this policy is making things harder to implement because it would be impossible to make it interoperate with other messaging apps? I don't get w…

> [...] without actually realising that it is actually going to make things worse, that's what regulation does in most cases. Feels like a uniquely american take. Companies that are maliciously compliant are not the norm. Leaving behind that most is an ambiguous enough term that means you could basically discredit anything I come up with, how do you feel about regulations that limit the use of harmful or toxic chemic…

Except in this case there are no lives being saved, it’s turning green bubbles blue. That’s all this regulation is really about.

Re: EU will require Apple to open up iMessage (2022)

#187

This sounds nice, but when you really think about the consequences it really is not. Isn't this going to kill features that only some apps have or offer? What if one day Signal, Telegram or WhatsApp want to implement something "different" that could make messaging better but this policy is making things harder to implement because it would be impossible to make it interoperate with other messaging apps? I don't get w…

What sort of features would prevent a client from receiving a text-based message? XMPP used to work across platforms but commercial interests killed it. Surely, messaging clients can publish a protocol and provide a reference library for others to use to directly contact users on their platforms?

It’s called SMS

Re: EU will require Apple to open up iMessage (2022)

#188

There was a brief period of time where I was able to use IRC, Facebook and MSN from the same client: Pidgin https://pidgin.im/

I still use pidgin daily for jabber, slack, and a custom protocol I wrote for the chat feature in my company's product.

It is great having a unified tool with minimal resource usage that is fully integrated into your platform.

Re: EU will require Apple to open up iMessage (2022)

#189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

iMessage already has that, by falling back to SMS.

The problem is that SMS is nowadays a poor fallback, lacking support for a number of widespread features that are part of the EU's required baseline for interoperability.

Why is it a poor fallback? It supports less but mostly it’s a message size limitation. This seems like exactly what they want.

Re: EU will require Apple to open up iMessage (2022)

#190

This sounds nice, but when you really think about the consequences it really is not. Isn't this going to kill features that only some apps have or offer? What if one day Signal, Telegram or WhatsApp want to implement something "different" that could make messaging better but this policy is making things harder to implement because it would be impossible to make it interoperate with other messaging apps? I don't get w…

What sort of features would prevent a client from receiving a text-based message? XMPP used to work across platforms but commercial interests killed it. Surely, messaging clients can publish a protocol and provide a reference library for others to use to directly contact users on their platforms?

Well looking at Apple's more recent features for iMessage, Animoji and Memoji related features are presumably non-trivial to slap into an existing app.
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