FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr has called for an investigation into Apple’s decision to block the Beeper Mini service, which was designed to bring iMessage to Android.
Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky launched a new service called Beeper Mini in December, claiming to have reverse-engineered the iMessage stack to make it work on Android. Apple repeatedly blocked Beeper Mini’s attempts, leading to the service being deemed “unsustainable.”
Carr is suggesting that the FCC look into this situation under the FCC’s Part 14 rules, focusing on “advanced communications service” accessibility and usability for individuals with disabilities.
Apple’s wider set of exclusionary practices warrant scrutiny by antitrust and competition agencies, and the FCC should also examine this particular incident through the lens of the Part 14 rules on accessibility, usability, and compatibility,” Carr emphasized.
Carr noted that Beeper Mini promoted principles such as accessibility and usability for people with disabilities, implying potential violations by Apple.
He called out Apple, stating that providers “shall not install network features, functions, or capabilities that impede accessibility or usability.”
The FCC has not announced any immediate plans to investigate the issue.
Regulators have taken notice of Apple’s decision, with a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers requesting the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Apple’s “potential anticompetitive treatment” of Beeper. Senator Elizabeth Warren has also criticized Apple’s move.
