Newly drafted EU rules should force messaging platforms to open. As a result, services such as WhatsApp, Signal, iMessage, Telegram and Facebook Messenger must be able to exchange messages with each other.
The European rules fall under the so-called Digital Markets Act (DMA). These rules are primarily intended to curb the abuse of power by tech companies by designating their platforms as open. Thanks to the new rules of the game, these companies are labeled as gatekeepers (so-called gatekeepers), after which they have to admit others. Think of new rules that prevent abuse of power in application stores or rules where you as a user remove pre-installed apps and services from your own smartphone.
Messaging services, such as WhatsApp, iMessage, Telegram, Signal and Facebook Messenger must be able to exchange messages with each other.
New Message Rules
The package of rules is still being worked out. On Thursday evening, the negotiators must have announced that they had reached an agreement in the field of messaging services. Messaging services, such as WhatsApp, iMessage, Telegram, Signal and Facebook Messenger must be able to exchange messages with each other. For example, it should be possible to send someone a message on WhatsApp via iMessage. But also other functions, such as (video) calling and sending photos, videos and files.
The purpose of opening up messaging apps is to give the user freedom of choice: you can choose your own apps to reach everyone. This prevents you as a user from being forced to choose a closed platform such as WhatsApp.
If tech companies do not cooperate, fines are not a good idea. They can amount to five percent of the daily turnover or even 10 percent of the global annual turnover. The EU also wants to prevent tech companies from taking them for granted with increasing fines, as Apple is currently doing with the fines imposed by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets. Because Apple refuses to adjust payment terms in dating apps this fine has now risen to 45 million euros.
Challenges
Tech companies don’t seem keen on the new legislation. There are also technical challenges. For example, each messaging service uses its own security. Security such as end-to-end encryption requires open protocols to be properly implemented to guarantee security. In a statement against tech site The Verge Apple spokesperson Fred Sainz expressed concern: “We remain concerned that some provisions of the DMA will create unnecessary privacy and security concerns for our users, while others will prohibit us from charging for intellectual property in which we invest heavily. ”.
A predictable reaction if you look at the success of the messaging service iMessage. The closed messaging system ensures that consumers cannot choose other smartphone brands, because the messaging service is only available for Apple devices. If the recipient cannot use iMessage, for example because they have an Android smartphone, this is at the expense of the security of both user and recipient because the message is then sent unencrypted via SMS.
Negotiators in the European Parliament have now figured out what the general rules should look like. They must then be formally approved. It then becomes clear how the messaging apps should work together and within what time frame this will happen.
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