Apple is blocking the Beeper service from sending “blue” iMessage communication. The service provided a workaround for non-iPhone users to send encrypted messages to iPhone users through first-party apps.
The “green/blue” bubble debate is mostly an American issue, hyped up by the media who want to turn the issue into an economic conflict. Other countries increasingly rely on WhatsApp, Telegram, or Signal to communicate cross platform and internationally. The Verge says:
A few days after the team at Beeper proudly announced a way for users to send blue-bubble iMessages directly from their Android devices without any weird relay servers, and about 24 hours after it became clear Apple had taken steps to shut that down, Apple has shared its take on the issue.
The company’s stance here is fairly predictable: it says it’s simply trying to do right by users, and protect the privacy and security of their iMessages. “We took steps to protect our users by blocking techniques that exploit fake credentials in order to gain access to iMessage,” Apple senior PR manager Nadine Haija said in a statement.
Liberals in Congress have seized on the news to beat the anti-trust drum. Senator Warren in particular was calling the practice anti-competitive, despite the fact that it compromised iMessage’s integrity. Tech Crunch says:
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is throwing her weight behind Beeper, the app that allowed Android users to message iPhone users via iMessage, until Apple shut it down. Warren, an advocate for stricter antitrust enforcement, posted her support for Beeper on X (formerly Twitter) and questioned why Apple would restrict a competitor. The post indicates Apple’s move has now caught the attention of legislators, who are in a position to regulate Big Tech through policymaking.
“Green bubble texts are less secure. So why would Apple block a new app allowing Android users to chat with iPhone users on iMessage?,” Warren’s post read, citing The Verge’s report noting that Apple had blocked Beeper from operating, as TechCrunch also reported. “Big Tech executives are protecting profits by squashing competitors. Chatting between different platforms should be easy and secure,” she said.
Apple is already planning on rolling out RCS support on iPhones. This would enable iMessage like features to be cross compatible with Androids. RCS is already rolled out through Google’s own phones, and has been met with positive reviews.
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