Beeper Mini offered Android users a path to send and receive iMessages, but Apple was ruthless and persistent in its attempt to shut down the service. The scuffle between the two companies had previously caught the attention of U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, and with Beeper Mini officially having shut down, the FCC commissioner has dived into the action, investigating Apple for what he believes is antitrust behavior.
Beeper Mini developers eventually gave up bringing iMessage to Android users thanks to Apple, prompting the FCC investigation
The U.S. government is involved in several antitrust investigations against Apple, with the FCC commissioner Brendan Carr now looking into the technology giant if its recent move ‘complies with the FCC’s Part 14 rules.’ He made this announcement during the State of the Net Conference on Monday. For those who do not know about the FCC’s Part 14 rules, it lays out requirements for ‘advanced communications service’ or services such as iMessage that must be followed to ensure they are accessible.
With Apple having a paramount role in shutting down Beeper Mini, Carr believes that Apple may have violated the FCC’s rule that says that providers ‘shall not install network features, functions, or capabilities that impede accessibility or usability.’ Carr also believes that the low contrast on the green bubbles makes it difficult for users with low vision to see or discern those messages.
Today, I called for the @FCC to investigate whether Apple violated our Part 14 rules by blocking Beeper Mini - an app that enabled interoperability between iOS & Android messaging.
Beeper bridged the “blue bubble - green bubble” divide that Apple maintains as part of a broader… pic.twitter.com/vxefQZKDXb
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) February 12, 2024
“Apple made changes to iMessage to disable the functionality of Beeper Mini. The FCC should launch an investigation to look at whether Apple’s decision to degrade the Beeper Mini functionality that was being provided, which again, encouraged accessibility and usability, was a step that violated the FCC’s rules.”
With Apple’s actions, Beeper Mini was forced to shut down in December 2023. The standard service is still available, but if Android users still want to share iMessages with one another, they need to have access to an iPhone or Mac, which completely defeats the purpose of the service. As for the FCC commissioner, it is not the first time that government officials have gone after Apple over antitrust-related issues, and we doubt it will be the last attempt.
News Source: Brendan Carr
