Microsoft and Apple don’t want iMessage to be part of EU ‘gatekeeper’ list
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London: The European Commission is preparing to publish a list of designated ‘gatekeepers’ as part of the new Digital Markets Act (DMA) on 6 September. Microsoft and Apple are reportedly pushing to keep Bing and iMessage off the list. Once the EU designates its gatekeepers, they will have six months, or until March 2024, to comply with the DMA’s rules.
According to The Financial Times, Microsoft and Apple have been arguing privately that their services are not large or powerful enough to justify the Digital Markets Act’s restrictions. Microsoft’s Windows platform meets the definition of a gatekeeper. However, it argues that Bing’s relatively small share (compared to Google) of the global search market could shrink even further with the new regulations.
Apple is also reportedly working on ways that would open up iOS to third-party app stores and sideloading to comply with the new rules. However, as per the report, the tech giant argues that iMessage should not interoperate with other messaging services. Apple and Microsoft, along with Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, ByteDance and Samsung, will be part of the EU ‘gatekeepers’ list that will determine which products should be covered under the DMA.
The DMA establishes a set of clearly defined objective criteria to identify ‘gatekeepers’. Gatekeepers are large digital platforms that provide so-called core platform services, such as for example online search engines, app stores, messenger services. The DMA is one of the first regulatory instruments to comprehensively regulate the gatekeeper power of the largest digital companies.
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