Apple’s iMessage and Microsoft’s Bing search engine have received a reprieve from the European Union’s tougher regulations on how tech giants conduct their business. In accordance with a landmark law, starting next month, the EU will impose strict rules on the world’s largest digital firms, known as “gatekeepers.”
In September, the European Commission declared that Google’s Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, TikTok parent ByteDance, Facebook owner Meta, and Microsoft met the thresholds for mandatory compliance with the law. Additionally, the commission launched investigations to assess whether Apple’s iMessage, Microsoft’s Bing, Edge browser, and advertising service should also be classified as gatekeepers.
The EU’s executive arm, the European Commission, announced on Monday that Apple and Microsoft should not be designated as gatekeepers for these four services. In response, both companies expressed their gratitude for the decision. An Apple spokesperson stated, “We thank the Commission for agreeing with us that iMessage should not be designated under the DMA,” highlighting the availability of alternative messaging apps that offer easy switching between platforms.
Similarly, a Microsoft spokesperson welcomed the decision, emphasizing that Bing, Edge, and Microsoft Advertising operate as challengers in the market. They also pledged to work closely with the Commission and the industry to ensure compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) for their other designated platforms.
The DMA aims to foster competition in the digital realm and includes provisions for interoperability between apps. This means that users should be able to message each other seamlessly across different platforms.
The EU has empowered itself with strong legal tools to tackle the dominance of internet giants, including the DMA and the Digital Services Act (DSA). The DSA places obligations on popular social networks and websites to increase content moderation and protect consumers during online shopping.
While Apple and Microsoft celebrate their exemption from stricter EU rules, the tech industry continues to navigate the evolving landscape of digital regulation. As the DMA and DSA come into effect, it remains to be seen how these regulations will shape competition and consumer protection in the digital sphere.
苹果（Apple）的iMessage和微软（Microsoft）的必应搜索引擎得到了欧盟更严格的技术巨头业务行为规定的豁免。根据一项里程碑式的法律，从下个月开始，欧盟将对全球最大的数字公司，即被称为“门禁者”的公司，施加严格规定。
在九月，欧盟委员会宣布谷歌（Google）的Alphabet、亚马逊（Amazon）、苹果、抖音（TikTok）的母公司字节跳动（ByteDance）、Facebook所有者Meta和微软达到了法律强制合规的门槛。此外，该委员会还启动了调查，评估苹果的iMessage、微软的必应、Edge浏览器和广告服务是否也应被列为门禁者。
欧盟执行机构欧洲委员会在周一宣布，苹果和微软不应被指定为这四项服务的门禁者。作为回应，两家公司对这个决定表示感谢。苹果发言人表示“我们感谢委员会认同我们的看法，即iMessage不应该在DMA（数字市场法）下被指定为门禁者”，并强调了提供轻松切换平台的替代消息应用程序的可用性。
同样，微软的一位发言人对这一决定表示欢迎，并强调必应、Edge和微软广告在市场上的运作方式属于竞争。他们还承诺将与委员会和行业密切合作，确保其其他指定平台符合数字市场法的规定。
数字市场法的目标是促进数字领域的竞争，并包括对应用程序之间的互操作性的规定。这意味着用户应该能够在不同平台之间无缝通信。
欧盟已赋予自己强大的法律工具，以应对互联网巨头的垄断，包括数字市场法和数字服务法（DSA）。DSA对流行的社交网络和网站加强内容审核和保护消费者的义务。
尽管苹果和微软为自己免于遵守更严格的欧盟规定而欢庆，但科技行业继续在不断变化的数字监管环境中前行。随着数字市场法和数字服务法的生效，人们将看到这些规定如何塑造数字领域的竞争和消费者保护。