Google, European Telecoms Giants Call on EU to Force Open iMessage

[TruthWatcher412]

Or make Meta add SMS support to WhatsApp and Messenger and there's open texting. It's not like anyone's forced to use iMessage. Non-Apple users and Apple users can use Telegram, Signal, Line, Messenger, etc. If it were a monopoly Apple would be forcing iPhone users to only use iMessage.

 

[falkon-engine]

When I go to Disneyland, I pay to be in a walled garden, pay premium for everything. But that is my choice. I do not need dreamworks and Warner Bros also in there..

To be fair, iPhone (smartphones) and the services/apps they run are more essential to our everyday life than Disneyland.

 

[neuropsychguy]

To me, that sounds like the best option.

Though, as someone who lives in the EU, I find it odd that iMessage is seen as such a problem. I've lived in several different countries here and by far the most common messaging service in all of them has been WhatsApp.

Or is there something I missed here?

You didn't miss anything. iMessage is huge in the U.S. but it's not the same power player in the EU or even much of the rest of the world. Going after Apple and iMessage is Google (who is the main company pushing this) grinding an axe and trying to get Apple to adopt their form of RCS. Apple has self-interest as a company and so does Google (and yes, Google's version of RCS counts as self-interest, although it's separate from Google Messages). This is Google trying to use regulation to advance their self-interest (Apple does the same thing).

 

[MayaUser]

My god...soon there will be no differences between companies, anything...everything will be the same because of this if this escalate even higher
This way in 20 years we will have the same identical car just with an different badge on it, same software, same of everything.
Please make a law that people should make only white people....this is getting ridiculous and the choice of human customer will be erased because everything will be almost the same

 

[falkon-engine]

By forcing iMessage open, doesn't that come with the possibility of MORE SPAM!? Imagine getting spammed from all services, Signal, Twitter(I mean X), Instagram, Facebook, etc? How will iMessage users ensure privacy in this more open world?

At least give iMessage users the option to DISABLE incoming messages from other platforms. That would be good.

 

[jamezr]

We are, it’s called SMS

not quite...close but not the same.
"iMessage and SMS are two channels used for sending SMS messages, and they have different features, benefits and disadvantages. iMessage is ideal for communication between Apple users and offers more advanced features than SMS."

 

[Wildkraut]

Adium?

Could be Pidgin, too.

 

[kc9hzn]

The problem is Apple not supporting RCS and bundling your run of the mill text messaging with iMessage means it breaks the whole experience of messaging for everyone. Sure they can create an Android iMessage app if they like, and that’ll be welcome, but iPhone owners should not be held hostage behind Apple’s wall from using RCS with their phone numbers with other phone numbers.

Quit it with the RCS business. People persist in conflating carrier RCS with Google Messages, they’re two separate things. But what’s more, Jibe is the only version of RCS that exists anymore. RCS is nominally open, but Google provides the only implementation of it. (The classic Google version of Embrace, Extend, Extinguish is to push for an entirely self serving nominally “open” standard that only benefits Google then use competitors’ unwillingness to incorporate that standard to imply that their competitors are opposed to open standards. We see it time and time again when Google promotes web standards that really only make sense in ChromeOS.)

 

[MayaUser]

To be fair, iPhone (smartphones) and the services/apps they run are more essential to our everyday life than Disneyland.

To be fair if there is no competition, then everything will grow with the speed of a warm/slug

 

[neuropsychguy]

Please don’t use the words iMessage and secure together.

iMessage isn't secure? Messages and content are end-to-end encrypted as a start.

 

[MayaUser]

iMessage isn't secure? Messages and content are end-to-end encrypted as a start.

yes, it is in general secure. Even by law Apple has to provide that now, it is written in penal Code

 

[CTHarrryH]

know it wont happen but I'd love it if apple dropped business in the EU - after I send all my now worthless cables to the EU no point innovating if youm cant benefit

 

[1129846]

iMessage requires users to own an Apple device or computer.
If EU forces this open then I should be able to use Samsung pay on my iPhone or run Android on my iPhone.

Umm in theory you can run Android on your iPhone. The one blocking that is Apple not Google or android. You just have to compile the Android source code for the iPhone architecture.

 

[bradman83]

I do miss that App with the bird on my Mac that let me communicate with people on iChat, MSN, ICQ and AIM within the same platform

The fact that you remember ICQ makes my elder millennial heart all bubbly and warm (though at my age that could just be acid reflux).

 

[_Refurbished_]

Those is ridiculous. They just have a better product and invested in the right technology at the right time.

That is the furthest thing from the truth. Crazy how you got any likes on that comment.

 

[Wildkraut]

Umm in theory you can run Android on your iPhone. The one blocking that is Apple not Google or android. You just have to compile the Android source code for the iPhone architecture.

Maybe once the Apple finished implementing sideloading, then we‘ll be able to install an Android Runtime.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

This is getting a bit ridiculous

 

[Ctrlos]

When I go to Disneyland, I pay to be in a walled garden, pay premium for everything. But that is my choice. I do not need dreamworks and Warner Bros also in there..

But you have a choice of theme parks and can message your mates if theyre in another one. You're not trapped in Disneyland and only able to talk to other patrons forever.

 

[MayaUser]

Google pays a lot of money for Apple to have search engine by default
Google is envy about imessage and urge EU because, now there is a legal history regarding Apple lightning port
If this come true, THIS will not end here 100%....it will go further and further...be-aware of what you want, you may not feel it now, on short time, but in long time we risk that competition to suffer a lot because everything should be the same by EU law

 

[TracerAnalog]

I really don’t understand this one. Nobody in the EU cares about iMessage, most people (by far) are on Whatsapp. Talk about a ‘gatekeeper’! On top of that, there are so many choices: Signal, Telegram, Whatsapp, regular SMS, and then some. I use them all. Who cares about having to switch app now and then? How will opening up these messaging apps not result in a ‘lowest common denominator’ service? How will anybody ever innovate again by adding things if that would break cross service compatibility?

I’m stumped.🤔

 

[I7guy]

Thought iMessage usage in the EU is very limited according to MR posters. Apparently not.

 

[1129846]

Quit it with the RCS business. People persist in conflating carrier RCS with Google Messages, they’re two separate things. But what’s more, Jibe is the only version of RCS that exists anymore. RCS is nominally open, but Google provides the only implementation of it. (The classic Google version of Embrace, Extend, Extinguish is to push for an entirely self serving nominally “open” standard that only benefits Google then use competitors’ unwillingness to incorporate that standard to imply that their competitors are opposed to open standards. We see it time and time again when Google promotes web standards that really only make sense in ChromeOS.)

Here is a kicker. If Apple had chosen to join in early they could have help control RCS. Apple chose not to and worse deliberately choose not to participate and implement anything. Apple own chose meant they had no say and they screwed up. Now they deserve the scorn and still need to implement RCS. Should have joined on one of the multiple inventions.

 

[1129846]

This is just getting gross. Whose fault is it that “enriched messaging” “only exists” on Apple platforms?

Hangouts, Talk, Duo, those are just the ones I used/was constantly pestered to use and Google killed them all. There are probably more I’m not thinking of.

Google is just being petty because they are incapable of playing the long game Apple has been at for over a decade.

Google has Messages with their own implementation of RCS, why aren’t they encouraging governments to meddle in that? They would of course argue that there aren’t enough users…

I wouldn’t be opposed to Apple releasing iMessage for Android but that’s their decision and I think it’s wrong for governments to meddle in that, especially when they are clearly being goaded by a competitor to do so.

You do know hangouts talk and duo all still exist and all Google been doing is collapsing them down into single services.

Google chat and meet covers all of it. My guess is they kept improving protocols and setup forcing migrations and shutting down things but end of the day they still exist with a different name.

 

[jlc1978]

Apple offered to let others join iMessages and FaceTime more than a decade ago. Now they want to join? Probably under their own terms, which would weaken its security. Google, for example, would only want to use it to help them track you.

Of course. Apple should require routing all messages through tehir servers if it goes to an iMessage account.

Oh great, now scammers will be able to spam me via iMessage, thanks EU just what I always wanted.

Hey, you could start up your own Spam as a Service app with in App payments for blocks of messages.

I pray for the EU to kill Apples proprietary 💩 There should be an open protocol to communicate, like we have an open html protocol, so content can be viewed on different platforms with different browsers.

There is - SMS. Even if it is not as full featured as other protocols, a way exists.

if there’s interoperability that’s good.

being able to text people from a single app is good, I like this.

You can today using SMS. Nothing in this proposed rule would ensure interoperability between message apps and ensure all features work teh same way in all apps.

We should all be on the same messaging standard. This is just like the whole USB C issue.
Standards exist for a reason.....it ensures they support technical regulations, ensure interoperability. The whole tech world has standards for everything around software and technology. Messaging is no different. We should all be on the same standard.

Standards do not ensure interoperability. All the USB-C standard ensures is a single connector design, beyond that cables can be widely divergent.

Or make Meta add SMS support to WhatsApp and Messenger and there's open texting. It's not like anyone's forced to use iMessage. Non-Apple users and Apple users can use Telegram, Signal, Line, Messenger, etc. If it were a monopoly Apple would be forcing iPhone users to only use iMessage.

Here's the rub - if the big services are forced to allow interoperability, anyone can create an app and demand access o their service. You want to create a spam service, the EU says "OK, the big players have to let you in the room."

Nothing ensures What's App or Signal will want to be interoperable, either; however a third party app could connect the two.

The major players could, in theory, allow interoperability but require all messages go through their servers. I doubt Google would want to allow them to bypass their servers in the name of interoperability.

They could also geo-fence the interoperability features.

This regulation could lead to some interesting unintended consequences.

 

[spinedoc77]

I would be curious how a financial analysis would look comparing decreasing smartphone sales in general with increasing sales from subscriptions. Apple could just release iMessage as a monthly sub if you don't have an Apple device, I'd personally have no issue with $5-$10/month and Apple could even consider jacking it up higher than that over time. I have a feeling this would actually entice MORE consumers to buy an iPhone, especially if Apple withheld features from an iMessage app like stickers, tapbacks, facetime, etc. Apple would come out looking like the hero AND making money.

Personally all I want is to be able to send videos/pictures without the massive compression MMS entails, and to be able to properly be in a group chat. Maybe the EU and FCC should FORCE carriers to adopt a new standard like...hmm...like maybe RCS? (And I mean the original RCS which the carriers let languish and die, NOT the adulterated Google RCS which they push).