THE European Union recently announced a new package of measures to combat anti-competitive practices in Europe by Big Tech. At stake is the diploma Digital Markets Law (DMA) which will include a greater focus on technologies such as Apple and its iMessage service, as well as the Meta group and their respective platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram.
The European legislator intends to end the exclusivity of iMessage for Apple devices. At the same time, it wants WhatsApp’s messaging service, Facebook Messenger and Instagram’s DM platform to follow the same path of interoperability.
iMessage, Facebook Message and WhatsApp in the “look” of the European Union
The provisions (legal assumptions) present in the Digital Markets Law (DMA) include companies that have at least 45 million monthly active users, or 10,000 active commercial users per year within the European Union. Entities that meet the aforementioned requirements will apply the new statute that promises to change the European digital landscape.
In a few words, the European Union has reached a definitive version of the “Law” that will limit the action of the so-called Big Tech, in favor of the free market and against the respective monopolies. The exclusive services will have to communicate with each other, something unprecedented until now.
This is the same as saying that Apple iMessage users will be able to chat with WhatsApp and Facebook Message users, for example. Up to now closed platforms, endowed with a monopoly position and belonging to Big Tech.
Finalized the negotiations that close the text of the Law of Digital Markets (DMA)
It took more than eight hours of discussion in the last preparatory meeting to arrive at the current wording. Thus, from now on, there is a provisional understanding on the legal text that must live and enter into force in the Digital Markets Law (DMA).
It is one of the most daring measures of the European Union in the field of technology and aims to end monopolies. It will do so by forcing the giants to open up their platforms to small competing services, specifically targeting Apple, Google, Microsoft, Meta (formerly Facebook), and Amazon.
For the user, from small or large instant communication platforms, this means that it is now possible to send files, make voice calls, video calls, among other communications, through the different platforms.
Full interoperability between small and large platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger
In addition, the new legal text that will be incorporated into the Digital Markets Law (DMA) also provides for the obligation of companies to request the explicit consent of users for the collection of personal information for advertising purposes.
From there, it will be the responsibility of the user to ensure that they are aware of the information collected by these services. It will be, in short, another great attack against the so-called gate keepers of the Internet in Europe.
Finally, the legislative proposal must be reviewed and finalized, and must then be approved by the European Parliament. In other words, we will have to wait a little longer until we know the full scope of the implications of the Digital Markets Law (DMA).