Apple has recently announced its decision to support the upcoming Rich Communication Services (RCS) messaging standard in 2024, and according to John Gruber’s Daring Fireball, it was not the European Union that drove this decision, but rather China.
Gruber’s sources suggest that regulatory pressures from China were the driving force behind Apple’s adoption of RCS, debunking theories that the European Commission’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) played a role in this decision.
This revelation comes after the European Commission’s announcement that Apple’s iMessage and Microsoft’s Bing, Edge, and advertising services would not be designated as gatekeepers under the DMA. This conclusion follows investigations that began in September 2023.
Gruber criticized the assumption that the DMA influenced Apple’s RCS adoption as “lazy thinking,” pointing out that the DMA does not specifically mention RCS. He explained that RCS, essentially an advanced SMS controlled by cellular carriers and lacking encryption, does not align with the DMA’s focus on interoperability among encrypted messaging platforms.
According to Gruber, his sources indicate that iOS support for RCS is all about China. Chinese carriers have long supported RCS, and recent moves by the Chinese government to require new 5G devices to support RCS have placed pressure on Apple. This regulatory push in China contrasts with the European Union’s approach, which has not specifically targeted RCS in its digital market regulations.
Gruber further elaborated on the differences between iMessage and RCS, highlighting iMessage’s independence from carrier-based messaging systems and its ability to operate without a phone number – a feature not shared by RCS. He pointed out the technical and operational nuances that make iMessage distinct from traditional SMS and RCS, underscoring the inaccuracy of claims that the DMA’s interoperability requirements could have prompted Apple’s support for RCS.
In summary, it appears that China influenced Apple’s decision to support RCS rather than the EU. While there has been no official word from Apple dismissing these rumors, Gruber is known for relying on credible sources before writing about them. This perspective provides valuable insight into Apple’s strategic decisions regarding messaging standards.
