Lawyers from the U.S. Department of Justice have reportedly met with Beeper CEO Eric Migicovsky as part of an alleged antitrust investigation into Apple. In theory, Beeper is a tool that allows Android users to use iMessage and its blue bubbles without buying an iPhone.
During the technical attack and defense process in December 2023, Beeper had been battling with Apple to keep Android and iMessage interoperable. Apple continued to block its various technical measures on the grounds of security. As Apple stepped up its blockade, Beeper was eventually forced to give up because the difficulty of bypassing it reached an outrageous level.
According to the New York Times, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has become interested in the offensive and defensive relationship between Beeper and Apple. The publication cited two sources familiar with the matter as saying that the Justice Department met with Beeper CEO Eric Migicovsky on December 12, 2023.
Representatives for the Justice Department and Beeper declined to comment on the meeting. However, the Justice Department lawyers who attended the meeting were said to be involved in the Justice Department's antitrust investigation of Apple.
There were no further details and it was not known whether the meeting was initiated by the Justice Department or Beeper.
Beeper CEO Eric Migicovsky at one point said he was considering legal action against Apple, though he later appeared to backtrack on that statement when he stopped developing his service.
The New York Times also stated that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) must be interested in the case, but no source confirmed this.
The Federal Trade Commission published a blog on December 21, 2023, which stated that "the Federal Trade Commission will rigorously review any claim that competition must be hindered to promote privacy or security."