Apple simply acquired some uncommon excellent news from the EU.

The European Fee introduced on Tuesday that it closed its market investigation into 4 companies – Apple’s iMessage and Microsoft’s Bing, Edge, and internet marketing service (i.e., Microsoft Promoting) – to find out whether or not they’re “gatekeeper companies.”

Below the EU’s new Digital Markets Act (DMA), core platform companies should abide by a strict algorithm to be able to function inside the European Union.

Nonetheless, the European Fee discovered that these companies didn’t meet the brink to be declared as “gatekeeper companies,” thus skirting regulation that may have pressured Apple and Microsoft to open these companies as much as third-party integrations and cross-platform interoperability.

“Following an intensive evaluation of all arguments, taking into consideration enter by related stakeholders, and after listening to the Digital Markets Advisory Committee, the Fee discovered that iMessage, Bing, Edge and Microsoft Promoting don’t qualify as gatekeeper companies,” reads the announcement from the European Fee. “The Fee will proceed to observe the developments available on the market with respect to those companies, ought to any substantial adjustments come up.”

In keeping with The Verge, Apple and Microsoft each “welcomed” the choice from the Fee.

The European Fee did stress in its assertion, although, that Apple and Microosoft are nonetheless seen as “gatekeepers” below the DMA, which means the regulation will proceed to scrutinize these corporations for potential “gatekeeper companies.”

Apple’s DMA complications

The choice being “welcomed” by Apple is probably going an understatement. The corporate has been compelled to make massive adjustments to the best way it operates its iPhone, iOS, Safari, and App Retailer ecosystems, due to the DMA.

For customers, the DMA ought to be an enormous win. These guidelines had been created to create extra competitors and bar “gatekeepers” – i.e. massive corporations like Apple and Microsoft – from pushing third events out of rising markets. For instance, below the DMA, Apple should enable different marketplaces to distribute iOS apps, which might give builders the flexibility to keep away from Apple’s App Retailer content material guidelines in addition to its income share mannequin.

Nonetheless, Apple was roundly criticized by corporations like Meta, Spotify, and Xbox as soon as it introduced its new DMA-inspired insurance policies. Apple instituted new insurance policies that doubtlessly make it extra expensive for builders. Epic Video games CEO Tim Sweeney known as Apple’s strikes “scorching rubbish,” including that it seems to be “malicious compliance.”

The iMessage exemption

Maybe probably the most stunning resolution from the European Fee is relating to iMessage. 

Even the common client is nicely conscious of the interoperability points on the subject of texting. They see it at any time when utilizing iMessage and get a blue bubble message from one other iMessage person or a inexperienced bubble message from a person with a non-Apple gadget resembling Android. 

When an Android app known as Beeper Mini got here alongside that allowed Android customers to ship blue bubble iMessage messages to iPhone customers, Apple shut it down.

Firms like Google have additionally lengthy campaigned for Apple to change to the messaging business customary, Wealthy Communication Companies (RCS). For its half, Apple appeared to relent considerably when the Cupertino-based tech big introduced it might help RCS in iMessage.

Nonetheless, it seems this is not what factored into the European Fee’s resolution to exempt the iPhone from these guidelines. The principle cause the iMessage is not being thought-about a core gatekeeper service is as a result of iMessage simply is not that common within the EU. Exterior of the U.S., WhatsApp is by far the messaging app of selection for customers. (In case you’re questioning, Meta’s WhatsApp has been deemed a core gatekeeper service by the EU.)