Urges scrutiny of Apple, but does it make sense?

There have been many services that have tried to create a bridge between Apple iPhone's iMessage and Android's messages. One such device is the Beeper Mini, which Apple shut down in December.

While we wait for RCS

“You may remember the trick Nothing collaborated with Sunbird to be able to send and receive iMessages on the Phone 2. It all ended in failure after major security vulnerabilities were discovered. But the developers keep trying. The latest trick is the Beeper Mini that scammed iMessages from Apple's payment system – we think the same thing: “The service had to be taken off the air. According to the company, the developers used 'fake credentials' to achieve this, thus posing a greater security risk to users,” we reported at the time.

Therefore, we are surprised that FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is urging the committee to investigate Apple for violating one or more laws, as it seems to us that the Beeper Mini misused Apple's systems that, in addition to being affiliated with Apple, hold a patent.

We don't think this issue is going anywhere

“Today, I urged the FCC to investigate whether Apple violated Rule 14 by banning Beeper Mini — an app that enables interoperability between iOS and Android messaging. Beeper successfully bridges the gap between the 'blue bubble and the green bubble ” that Apple maintains as part of a broader set of anticompetitive dueling. Apple's range of exclusionary practices warrants scrutiny by antitrust and competition agencies, but the FCC should also examine this particular incident through the lens of our 14th Rules. On accessibility, ease of use and compatibility.

It's odd to refer to the Beeper Mini as a link between iOS and Android, since iMessage is Apple's proprietary technology that, before RCS, enabled more advanced features than SMS. Regardless, the iPhone will get RCS support sometime this year.