NEWS  News  November 8, 2023  Reading time: 2 Minute(s)

Max (RS editor)

In a turn of events that could be mistaken for a Monty Python skit, Google, the tech giant behind Android and the infamous Google Chat, has decided to play the role of the unsung hero in the tech world. They've sent a letter to European regulators, essentially asking them to pull a rabbit out of the hat by making Apple's iMessage available for all platforms. Yes, you heard that right, Google, the paragon of openness, wants to free up Apple's walled garden!

This dramatic saga began when the EU Commission accused Apple of gatekeeping iMessage. In September, the European regulators started poking around to see if Apple should be required to play nice with the competition under the Digital Markets Act. This act would force iMessage, Apple's cherished messaging platform, to be seamlessly compatible with all messaging platforms, including Android and WhatsApp. 

Lo and behold, Google decided to hop on the bandwagon of "iMessage for All" by sending a letter that essentially echoed the EU Commission's concerns. In this strange twist of fate, Google's senior vice president and other telecom executives proclaimed that Apple's services meet the thresholds of the act and should be regulated to "benefit European consumers and businesses".

Let's not forget the beautiful irony in this situation. Google, the company that has, at times, been accused of having its own set of walls and gates, is advocating for Apple, the kingpin of walled gardens, to open up its gates. It's like Darth Vader asking Luke Skywalker for a lesson in Jedi ethics.

This is the kind of tech drama that would make Shakespeare raise an eyebrow in surprise. In the ever-expanding universe of tech giants, alliances and rivalries shift like tectonic plates, and the lines between good and bad become as blurry as a low-res image.

It's hard to say whether Google's letter to the European regulators will bear any fruit. Perhaps this is a sincere plea for a more open and interconnected digital world. Or, maybe it's just a shrewd move by Google to try and level the playing field and make Apple squirm a little. Either way, one thing is certain: the irony in this situation is so thick you could cut it with a virtual knife.

So, here we are, watching Google, the champion of open platforms, trying to free iMessage from its Cupertino captors. Who would've thought we'd live to see the day? Stay tuned, folks, because in the tech world, stranger things have happened, and it's just another day in

(Cover image by Freepik)