The world of messaging apps as we know it might be about to change. This is as long as the new Digital Markets Act (DMA) of the European Union is in force.
Last Thursday, March 24, the European Parliament published a provisional agreement between the Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission which would guarantee “fair competition and more options for users”.
This would include interoperability with major messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and of course iMessage. In the future, iMessage should be open and usable with other smaller platforms if needed.
When will the Interoperability Act come into effect?
So far, only a provisional agreement has been found, but it is very likely that the Parliament and the Council will decide to approve these new laws soon. If so, the new legislation would come into effect six months later.
What would the new law mean for iMessage?
If it goes into effect, the European Union says users “will be able to exchange messages, send files or make video calls between various messaging apps, giving them more options.”
This means users should be able to send an iMessage to a user using another less popular messaging app. In this sense, you should not be able to send it to WhatsApp or Facebook, but to Signal, for example.
It could also mean that if you decide to use iMessage as your primary messaging app, those messages you send will also appear on the other smaller third-party platforms that Apple should open its doors to.
The new regulations would be welcome for regular iMessage users who are tired of seeing that when they send a message to a friend who uses Android, that message becomes a normal SMS and therefore a chargeable one.
Although there are ways to send iMessages to Android mobile, for now the solution is not perfect.
What does Apple say?
As you might have imagined, this deal hasn’t been too good for Apple. In statements to The edgethe company said it was concerned about what DMA could mean for the privacy and security of its users.
Apple also warned that the law “will prohibit them from charging for the use of their intellectual property, in which we invest heavily.” Additionally, if you fail to meet interoperability requirements, you face penalties of up to 10% of your total revenue (20% for multiple violations).