The world’s largest technology companies continue their battle against the European Union’s Digital Markets Law. And it is that now it is Microsoft and Apple that have announced their refusal that the Bing search engine and the iMessage messaging service are not governed by such regulations.
The news is hot and both international companies are backed by the fact that their services are not so popular to need to be controlled by the new European legislation, and it is that although Companies are obliged to comply with the new regulationssome are trying by all means to avoid its effect.
Legislation calling for an end to irregular business activities
The recently released legislation of the European Union continues in its task of stop certain commercial activities and their abusive practices. Since its approval, it has aroused the discomfort of many companies around the world, especially those that are dedicated to technology.
The European Union determined that the recent legislation would be applied to all organizations operating in Europe, which should have a turnover of more than 7,500 million euros per year, a market capitalization of more than 75,000 million euros and have 45,000 million of subscribers per month.
With these requirements on the table, companies such as Meta, Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon and ByteDance, market controllers and considered “gatekeepers”, must adapt to comply with the law. The European Union considers that they should be responsible for a set of prohibitions and obligations in favor of achieving fair competition within the sector.
The legislation is clear, these aforementioned companies digital companies must abide by certain commitmentssuch as sharing your data with small businesses, showing your users links to other companies, making your services interoperable with those of the competition, and also may not prevent users from uninstalling an application or program.
This has been the response of Microsoft and Apple
Faced with this new legislative framework in the European zone, Microsoft and Apple have not waited and have already communicated their clear intention that the European Union outlaw the Microsoft search engine, Bing, and Apple’s messaging service, iMessage.
Both draft organizations worldwide affirm that their services do not have the popularity that Europe tries to show, so its use is not superior to that of any other company. Relying on this statement, they firmly believe that they do not need to be regulated by the Digital Markets Law.
To this end, from Microsoft they are upset with the fact that Bing has to be governed by the same rules as Google Search, its greatest competitor. For the US company, it is unacceptable that they should include links to other search engines, including Google’s.
According to data that we have known, in the month of March the Microsoft search engine did not exceed 100 million active users per day, and it is that although the presence of ChatGPT is a commercial vein, the numbers do not deceive and they continue to be unable to reach their Google rival.
Apple for its part follows the line of Microsoft and endorses its refusal to allow its messaging service iPhone iMessage does not reach the number of users necessary to be included in the released legislation, and it is that with 1,000 million subscribers worldwide, the company does not consider it necessary.
Although the messaging application appears installed by default on all iPhone devices, it is true that its popularity continues to be far removed from the figures enjoyed by WhatsApp. Consequently, and as is the case with Microsoft, Apple should be an open window to other competitors, in this case to the Meta messaging service, a fact that would go against its future.
Be that as it may, the European Commission has been emphatic in this fact and through a statement has informed that as of the date of designation, which is set for today, Wednesday, September 6, these organizations will have a maximum term of 6 months to begin fulfilling their new obligations, that is, until March of next year.
