The European Union’s newly agreed Digital Markets Act, if finally passed, could require developers of messaging apps to make their apps work together, The Verge reports. In the EU’s press release, it said lawmakers agreed that companies behind WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger or iMessage must make their apps “interoperable” with small messaging platforms at the request of developers.
Here is the relevant part of the EU statement:
In nearly eight hours of trilateral dialogue (a tripartite meeting between parliament, council and committee), EU lawmakers agreed that the biggest messaging services (like Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger or iMessage) would have to be open and linked with smaller ones Information platforms interoperate if they request it.
This way, users of small or large platforms will be able to exchange messages, send files or make video calls in different messaging apps, giving them more options. As for the social network’s interoperability obligations, the co-legislators agreed that such interoperability provisions would be reviewed in the future.
While the law has yet to pass, the language the EU is referring to could force companies like Apple and Meta to open up systems they previously had full control over. For example you can only send iMessages using Apple’s iMessage app, which only runs on their device. It sounds like the EU wants to force Apple to make other messaging apps “interoperable” with iMessage — meaning people can have “conversations” between iMessage users on iPhones and Telegram users on Windows PCs.
The wording in the press release isn’t clear about whether these big apps have to work together (for example, WhatsApp users can message iMessage or iMessage’s green-bubble dispute with Android), but the EU says it’s trying to clear the way, not Excessive regulation of the existence of small businesses.
While creating this interoperability may seem complicated from a technical standpoint (even if companies are wholeheartedly committed to the idea, which seems unlikely), the EU has not given companies much time to do it. The rules will come into force more than six months after the Digital Markets Act has been approved by the European Parliament and Council.
History shows that companies keep their messaging systems closed because they can, not because it is impossible to make them work together. Meta has integrated some of its messaging systems, while Apple introduced a more open version of iMessage to carriers years ago.
Steve Jobs also promised to open source FaceTime. But in recent history, Apple’s plans seem to have changed — internal communications suggest that Apple isn’t bringing iMessage to Android, so people will keep buying iPhones. In other words, there are business reasons for staying closed.
If the EU’s proposal passes, there will be an extremely pressing business case for complying with its opening order. As the EU said in its press release, it can fine a company up to 10% of its annual global revenue. The fines jump to 20 percent for repeated violations, and the commission can even block acquisitions if companies are deemed to have systematically broken the rules.
In a statement to The Verge, Apple spokesman Fred Sainz said:
We remain concerned that some terms of DMA will introduce unnecessary privacy and security holes for our users, while others will prohibit us from charging for the intellectual property that we have invested heavily in. We believe in competition and the creation of thriving competitive markets around the world, and we will continue to work with stakeholders across Europe to hopefully reduce these loopholes.
Meta did not immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.