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Apple's iMessage avoids EU's Digital Markets Act regulation

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Re: Apple's iMessage avoids EU's Digital Markets Act regulation

#3
I'm not surprised by the iMessage decision*, but on the Bing case I'm personally still on the bench. I guess that API-only use is exempt from DMA?

* Americans, virtually no one uses iMessage outside your country, or at least to the point that it'll force you to get an iPhone. Even Japan, with their love with iPhones, uses a homegrown service for their messaging needs.

Re: Apple's iMessage avoids EU's Digital Markets Act regulation

#4
No real surprise about iMessage and Bing. They are not dominant communication methods/search engines at all, at least within my social circles (in Sweden).

Some useful info about who the gatekeepers are/which parts of their platforms have been designated at gatekeeping: https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/gatekeepers_en . Includes a nice diagram!

Re: Apple's iMessage avoids EU's Digital Markets Act regulation

#6

I'm not surprised by the iMessage decision*, but on the Bing case I'm personally still on the bench. I guess that API-only use is exempt from DMA? * Americans, virtually no one uses iMessage outside your country, or at least to the point that it'll force you to get an iPhone. Even Japan, with their love with iPhones, uses a homegrown service for their messaging needs.

Most Swedes I know use iMessage actually. That's very anecdotal tho

Re: Apple's iMessage avoids EU's Digital Markets Act regulation

#7
post #5

> EU probe found that iMessage falls outside the legislation because it is not widely used by businesses. Proving once more EU loyalties lie not with the people.

To be fair to the EU, it's not widely used by people in the EU either.

Part of the issue is that here in the US we think Apple is bigger than it is. Maybe it's an important messaging network here in the US, but everywhere else, it's just a phone. A nice one. But still just a phone.

Re: Apple's iMessage avoids EU's Digital Markets Act regulation

#8
post #5

> EU probe found that iMessage falls outside the legislation because it is not widely used by businesses. Proving once more EU loyalties lie not with the people.

Not really. If I'm a business and need to contact my customers and can just call them or text them on SMS or third party messenger platforms. Apple does not gatekeep me from reaching out to them. But if I'm a business and want to sell my customers an app, then Apple is the gatekeeper for the iOS platform, as I can't distribute my app to my customers with Apple devices any other way.

Similar with people. In EU nobody I know defaults to iMessages so it's not a big issue here.

Re: Apple's iMessage avoids EU's Digital Markets Act regulation

#10
post #7
post #5

> EU probe found that iMessage falls outside the legislation because it is not widely used by businesses. Proving once more EU loyalties lie not with the people.

To be fair to the EU, it's not widely used by people in the EU either. Part of the issue is that here in the US we think Apple is bigger than it is. Maybe it's an important messaging network here in the US, but everywhere else, it's just a phone. A nice one. But still just a phone.

To be fair, it's not "just a phone". iPhone integrates with the whole Apple ecosystem, so I can copy text on my phone and paste it on my Mac without thinking about it, or AirDrop a large file, or use it as a remote control for my Apple TV, and so forth.

It's just as much part of the Apple ecosystem everywhere in the world, even if you don't use iMessage. You're not getting anything like that if you're using Android and a PC. Which may be fine depending on your needs. But iMessage isn't the only differentiator here.

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