European Commission Investigates Apple’s iMessage: What Could This Mean?

Apple is facing more pressure from the European Union (EU) right after it was forced to use USB-C ports on iPhones. The company could now be forced to regulate iMessage for users, and the EU wants to know from users whether the iPhone messaging app should be regulated.

The EU has reportedly sent iPhone users a questionnaire asking for their views on the matter as the regulator plans to bring iMessage under the new Digital Markets Act (DMA). Apple claims that iMessage is ineligible for DMA compliance because it has a negligible user base, but according to industry reports, iMessage has more than a billion users who also use iPhones.

Apple has smartly avoided handing out numbers to iMessage users over the years, but that’s unlikely to give it a reprieve from the new DMA rules in Europe. The regulator has sought responses to the survey within a week and wants to complete the investigation in less than five months, according to a MacRumors report.

Apple and other tech giants face strict scrutiny in Europe, with regulators making sure technology standards are in line with its norms and giving consumers the freedom to choose from different options. The standardization of phone chargers was becoming a major pain point for regulators, which was finally resolved by Apple’s decision after several attempts.

The iPhone maker is now being forced to make changes to its App Store policies and allow sideloading of apps in the region, which Tim Cook and Co. have strongly rejected the platform due to security concerns if apps from other stores are allowed on iPhones.

Here, the DMA seeks to strengthen such transfers and give them legal support to make such decisions. So it’s not surprising to see Apple, Microsoft and other tech giants trying different ways to avoid regulation of all their apps.