A group of bipartisan lawmakers asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the actions taken by Apple on third-party applications that enabled Android devices to use iMessage.
Read Also: Beeper Mini Offers iMessage's Blue Bubbles on Android
Senators Voice Concern Over Apple's Actions
The Democratic Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar and Republican Utah Senator Mike Lee wrote their concern about Apple's recent actions that target to disable Beeper Mini. The senators cited that it could potentially harm the competition and stifle innovations for interoperable messaging services.
"We also fear these types of tactics may more broadly chill future investment and innovation from those that seek to compete with existing digital gatekeepers," the lawmakers wrote in a letter addressed to the top antitrust official in the DOJ, Jonathan Kanter.
According to Bloomberg, the department has been conducting a quiet investigation into Apple's App Store practices since 2019. Both Apple and the DOJ have not issued a response at the moment.
Apple Justifies Actions as User Protection
For long, Apple has declined to expand its exclusive messaging service, iMessage, to Android. The messaging apps boasted an encrypted system and opening it to other devices might make it less secure.
A few days after the Beeper Mini launched the application stopped working and Apple released a statement stating that the company took action to protect user privacy. The iMessage-maker also cited that the apps that are using "fake credentials" to access their app have been shut down.
Meanwhile, Beeper has remained grateful as many people have been supporting the company. The company also actively shares announcements and updates on its social media pages. Beeper had previously reached out to Apple.
Related Article: Apple Shuts Down Third-Party Apps for iMessage on Android
