The EU’s newly agreed Digital Markets Act may require developers of messaging apps to integrate their apps when they pass. In an EU press release, lawmakers say that the companies behind WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or iMessage need to make apps “interoperable” with smaller messaging platforms at the request of developers. He states that he has agreed.
The relevant parts of the EU statement are:
During nearly eight hours of trilogues (three-way talks between parliament, council, and committees), EU legislators opened the largest messaging services (Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, iMessage, etc.) with smaller messaging. I agreed that we need to interoperate, if they request so, the platform. Users on smaller or larger platforms have more choices as they can exchange messages, send files, and make video calls between messaging apps. With respect to social network interoperability obligations, co-members agreed that such interoperability provisions would be evaluated in the future.
The law hasn’t been passed yet, but the EU’s words could force companies such as Apple and Meta to open up systems that were previously in full control. Example: You can only send iMessage using Apple’s iMessage app. This app will only run on that device. The EU seems to want to force Apple to interface with other messaging apps and iMessage. This means you can have a conversation between iMessage users on your iPhone and Telegram users on your Windows PC. The wording of the press release isn’t clear if big apps need to work together (for example, whatsApp users can send to iMessage, or the iMessage and Android green bubble dispute), but the EU is trying to knock down. The walls around the garden without overly restricting the existence of small businesses.
The messaging app to be siled is a choice, not a technical limitation
Creating this kind of interoperability may seem complicated from a technical point of view (though it doesn’t seem to be the case if a company takes the idea seriously), but the EU It doesn’t give the company a lot of time to do it. This rule takes effect only six months after the Digital Markets Act is approved by the European Parliament and the Council.
History shows that companies are closing messaging systems not because they are impossible to work together, but because they are possible. Meta has already integrated several messaging systems, and Apple pitched a more open version of iMessage to its carriers many years ago. Steve Jobs himself marketed FaceTime as open source. But in recent history, Apple seems to have changed. Internal communication means that people will continue to buy iPhones because Apple didn’t introduce iMessage to Android. In other words, there was a business reason to stay closed.
If the EU proposal is passed, there is a very pressing business reason to follow the opening order. As the EU states in a press release, the EU can fine companies up to 10 percent of the world’s annual revenues. Repeated infringements can jump up to 20%, and the Commission can even prevent the company from making acquisitions if it is systematically deemed to be in breach of the rules.
In a statement emailed to The Verge, Apple spokeswoman Fred Sainz said:
While some DMA provisions pose unnecessary privacy and security vulnerabilities to users, others are concerned that they prohibit the claiming of intellectual property for which we make large investments. increase. We deeply believe in competition and the creation of prosperous competitive markets around the world and will continue to work with stakeholders throughout Europe in the hope of mitigating these vulnerabilities.
Meta did not immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.
For more information on the Digital Markets Act, see this main article.