New EU law may require iMessage and WhatsApp to work with other smaller platforms

If the EU's recently agreed-upon Digital Markets Act is implemented, messaging app makers may be required to make their applications function together. According to the EU's press release, parliamentarians decided that businesses like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and iMessage must make their applications "interoperable" with smaller messaging systems at the request of developers. While the rule hasn't been approved yet, the terminology referred to by the EU might force firms like Apple and Meta to open up systems that they previously had total control over.

For example, iMessages can only be sent via Apple's iMessage software, which is only available on Apple's devices. It appears that the EU is attempting to compel Apple to allow other messaging applications to interact with iMessage, implying that an iMessage user on an iPhone might converse with a Telegram user on a Windows PC. The language in the press release is ambiguous as to whether the big apps would have to work together (e.g., WhatsApp users being able to send to iMessage, or iMessage vs. Android green bubble disputes), but the EU claims it is attempting to break down barriers around gardens while not putting small businesses out of business.