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The EU won't force Apple or Microsoft to make concessions for a few of their products under the Digital Markets Act, allowing Apple's iMessage and Microsoft's Edge browser, Bing search, and Microsoft's advertising service to remain as they are for now in the region.
The European Commission has closed its investigations into Microsoft and Apple regarding their aforementioned offerings, confirming that Microsoft and Apple more broadly are "gatekeepers," but specific products like iMessage, Bing, and Edge are not.
"iMessage, Bing, Edge and Microsoft Advertising do not qualify as gatekeeper services," the Commission said Tuesday. "The Commission will continue to monitor the developments on the market with respect to these services, should any substantial changes arise."
Microsoft and Apple previously argued in September that Bing and iMessage should be exempt from the DMA because the services are simply not that widely used, in their view. Microsoft reportedly said Bing only sees 3% of all search engine traffic, while Apple did not provide specific numbers publicly.
In December, it was first reported that the Commission would likely rule in Apple's favor regarding iMessage.
While Apple won't have to tweak iMessage to comply with the DMA, the US tech giant has had to adhere to new EU rules in other ways. Last month, Apple began the process of opening up EU iOS systems, allowing iOS users to download apps from third-party stores. EU app developers can also offer more payment options for users thanks to the DMA.
But some, like Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, have argued that Apple's DMA regulation hasn't gone far enough. Last month, Sweeney alleged that Apple's new "junk fees" are part of the tech firm's "illegal anticompetitive scheme."
And when it comes to Microsoft Edge, Mozilla-funded researchers recently argued that Microsoft deploys "harmful design" tactics in an effort to keep users on Edge.
Europe's DMA is also being applied to other big tech firms and social media platforms more broadly, like Meta and ByteDance, which owns TikTok. Amazon and Google's parent company Alphabet have also received the gatekeeper designation under the DMA.