FCC commissioner cries antitrust again after Beeper Mini

It's not completely clear if a FCC commissioner understands what he's taking about, as he calls for antitrust action against Apple for its systematic shutdown of the iMessage-on-Android Beeper Mini app.

The United States government has multiple antitrust investigations looking into Apple's control of the App Store and its services — sometimes with good reason. However, as with many cases involving technology, it seems even an FCC commissioner doesn't quite understand the Apple versus Beeper Mini nuances.

A short tirade delivered by FCC commissioner Brendan Carr, first shared by The Verge, showed exactly what actions he'd like seen taken against Apple and demonstrated how little he knew about the situation. He seems to think of Beeper Mini as a kind of Robin Hood stealing iMessage from the rich and greedy Apple to deliver it to the masses that deserve blue bubble texts.

From Carr's statements, it seems he believes Apple only offering iMessage on iPhone is an accessibility issue. He says if Beeper Mini brings iMessage to Android and Apple stops it, Apple is violating Part 14 of its rules on making services accessible.

Carr suggests that Apple purposefully degrades messages from Android, like by reducing image resolution. He doesn't appear to be aware of the technical core underneath SMS, or the differences between it and Apple's internet messaging protocol.

The FCC commissioner also fails to mention Apple's promise to support RCS and work with the GSMA to develop encryption for the Universal Profile.

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

Carr previously wanted Apple and Google to remove TikTok from the App Store for political reasons. He also viewed their lack of response to concerns about China as an antitrust move.

This isn't the first nor last we'll hear from political leaders about Apple shutting down Beeper Mini's implementation of iMessage on Android. We're not sure why the green bubble versus blue bubble battle has caught the eye of politicians, and it remains unsurprising that lawmakers and governmental officials of all stripes don't seem fully briefed on technical matters.

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8 Comments

chasm 10 Years · 3626 comments

About 10 months ago

You’ll undoubtedly be surprised — even flabbergasted, I dare say — to find out he’s a grandstanding Republican who doesn’t appear to understand even the basics of the technology he’s supposed to be helping to regulate.

This is my shocked face.

applecolin New User · 1 comment

Apple’s systematic shutdown of the iMessage-on-Android app.
Beeper Mini as a kind of Robin Hood stealing iMessage from the rich and greedy Apple to deliver it to the masses that deserve blue bubble texts.

Apple only offering iMessage on iPhone is an accessibility issue.
Apple is violating Part 14 of its rules on making services accessible.

Apple purposefully degrades messages from Android, like by reducing image resolution.
Apple shutting down Beeper Mini's implementation of iMessage on Android.
The green bubble versus blue bubble battle has caught the eye of lawmakers and governmental officials of all stripes.
Read on AppleInsider

I removed all the deceptive opinions you flooded your article with and left behind the facts. Apple won’t allow iMessage on Android, and this is absolutely against the consumer. This is why we need better messaging protocols like XMTP and Farcaster.

darelrex 11 Years · 140 comments

applecolin said:

...
Read on AppleInsider

I removed all the deceptive opinions you flooded your article with and left behind the facts. Apple won’t allow iMessage on Android, and this is absolutely against the consumer. This is why we need better messaging protocols like XMTP and Farcaster.

Let me get this straight: Company A has some servers that are performing A-internal functions for A's own products, then company B discovers a way to hack into those servers and make them do stuff for company B, and company A responds by disabling the hack a few days later, then company A is "absolutely against the consumer," because you say so? And your opinion trumps that of A and all of A's customers even if 99% of them are perfectly OK with A's actions in disabling that hack — but that doesn't make you anti-consumer at all.

I can't imagine how I would justify such an opinion.. unless I had a severe, ulterior dislike of Apple and its customers, and on that basis I hungered for any rationale for Apple to be screwed with in any way possible.

Mike Wuerthele 8 Years · 6906 comments

applecolin said:

Apple’s systematic shutdown of the iMessage-on-Android app.
Beeper Mini as a kind of Robin Hood stealing iMessage from the rich and greedy Apple to deliver it to the masses that deserve blue bubble texts.

Apple only offering iMessage on iPhone is an accessibility issue.
Apple is violating Part 14 of its rules on making services accessible.

Apple purposefully degrades messages from Android, like by reducing image resolution.
Apple shutting down Beeper Mini's implementation of iMessage on Android.
The green bubble versus blue bubble battle has caught the eye of lawmakers and governmental officials of all stripes.
Read on AppleInsider

I removed all the deceptive opinions you flooded your article with and left behind the facts. Apple won’t allow iMessage on Android, and this is absolutely against the consumer. This is why we need better messaging protocols like XMTP and Farcaster.

Tell me you don't know anything about SMS or software, without telling me you don't know anything about SMS or software.

And, RCS is coming.

barthrh 16 Years · 142 comments

darelrex said:

I can't imagine how I would justify such an opinion.. unless I had a severe, ulterior dislike of Apple and its customers, and on that basis I hungered for any rationale for Apple to be screwed with in any way possible.

I think that these justifications come from people who don't understand business, competition and profit. Should HBO be required to license GOT and Succession? Because if you haven't watched those, you may as well use green bubbles. Should I be able to make a bike that pretends to be a fully subscribed Peloton so I can use their services and not expect to be shut down? We keep pretending that people have no choice but they do. If you don't like Apple, don't buy it. If you like the software on Apple's platform, then fucking buy it. Get an iPhone SE for cheap and have at it. "But I don't want an Apple, I just want Messages. And Daddy, I want a trained squirrel, but not any trained squirrel, I want *that* trained squirrel".