Apple has been accused of anticompetitive behavior by a group of bipartisan lawmakers for disabling the Beeper Mini app, which allowed Android users to access iMessage and enjoy the same features as iPhone users.
Beeper Mini was a web app that used a workaround to enable iMessage on Android devices, such as end-to-end encryption, read receipts, typing indicators, and blue bubbles. The app was launched in November by Eric Migicovsky, the founder of Pebble smartwatch, and gained popularity among Android users who wanted to communicate with their iPhone friends and family without compromising on quality and security.
However, Apple decided to block the app on December 9th, citing a violation of its terms of service. Apple claimed that Beeper Mini was using unauthorized methods to access iMessage, such as reverse engineering and spoofing. Apple also said that Beeper Mini posed a risk to user privacy and security, as it required users to share their Apple ID and password with the app.
Apple’s move sparked outrage among some lawmakers, who saw it as an attempt to stifle competition and innovation in the mobile market. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a vocal critic of Big Tech, tweeted that Apple was “using its dominance to squash a small competitor and keep users locked into its ecosystem.”
On December 17th, four lawmakers from both parties sent a letter to Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, who heads the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice, urging him to investigate Apple’s actions. The letter was signed by Senator Amy Klobuchar, Senator Mike Lee, Representative Jerrold Nadler, and Representative Ken Buck, who are all members of the congressional committees that oversee antitrust issues.
The letter stated that Apple’s treatment of Beeper Mini was anticompetitive and harmful to consumers and the mobile industry. The letter cited Apple’s own admission that iMessage was a key factor in keeping users loyal to its products and services and that Beeper Mini threatened to reduce this leverage by creating a more competitive mobile applications market, which in turn would create a more competitive mobile device market.
Senator @amyklobuchar + @SenMikeLee + @RepJerryNadler @RepKenBuck sent this to DOJ regarding ongoing fight betwn Beeper Mini vs Apple “to investigate whether this potentially anticompetitive conduct by Apple violated antitrust laws.” I’ll have the full story on @CBSMornings tmrw pic.twitter.com/pj6ef432TK
— Jo Ling Kent (@jolingkent) December 18, 2023
The letter also referenced a report by the Department of Commerce, which called Apple a “gatekeeper” with a “mobile app ecosystem” that had the power to control the distribution and monetization of apps on its platform. The letter expressed concern that Apple’s recent actions to disable Beeper Mini would harm competition, hurt consumers, and discourage future innovation and invention in interoperable messaging services.
The letter asked the Antitrust Division to investigate whether Apple violated antitrust law by blocking Beeper Mini and to take appropriate action to protect competition and consumers.
Apple has not responded to the letter or the allegations. The company has previously defended its iMessage exclusivity, saying that it was a feature that differentiated its products and enhanced the user experience. Apple has also announced that it will support RCS, a new messaging standard that would enable some of the iMessage features on cross-platform chats, sometime next year.
Beeper Mini’s creator, Migicovsky, said that he was disappointed by Apple’s decision but not surprised. He said that he hoped that the app would raise awareness about the need for more interoperability and choice in the messaging space. He also said that he was working on a new version of the app that would comply with Apple’s terms of service and that he would launch it soon.