EU officials are asking the tech giant's rival Apple whether its iMessage should be subject to Digital Markets Act rules to help determine the regulator's next course of action. The EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) is a set of rules specifically targeted at technology giants (including Apple, Amazon, Google, etc.). The rules are intended to level the playing field for other companies, but officials are still trying to determine how they should use the new powers under the law.
According to Reuters, the European Commission issued a questionnaire asking competitors and users to evaluate the importance of Apple's iMessage and Microsoft's three services compared with competitors. They were also asked whether there were specific reasons why business users relied on various services, and how many users used those services.
The European Commission in September began an investigation into iMessage, as well as Microsoft's Bing, Edge and Microsoft Ads, to determine whether they need to operate within the DMA rules.
Apple managed to exclude its messaging app from DMA compliance in September after deeming iMessage not big enough to count as a gatekeeper service in the EU. However, the European Commission appears keen to determine whether these rules should apply.
The investigation is expected to last another five months.