US Lawmakers Call for DOJ Investigation into Apple's Blocking of Beeper Mini

Bipartisan group of lawmakers argue that Apple's actions against the Android-compatible iMessage app may violate antitrust laws.

Apple's blocking of the Beeper Mini app, which allowed Android users to send and receive iMessages, has led to a bipartisan group of US lawmakers calling for a Department of Justice investigation into potential antitrust violations.
Beeper Mini was launched earlier this month and quickly gained popularity, with over 100,000 Android users signing up within two days. However, Apple swiftly disabled the app, citing significant risks to user security and privacy.
Despite Apple's intervention, Beeper Mini has been operational, albeit with intermittent issues attributed to Apple's actions. As of December 17th, Beeper Mini CEO Eric Migicovsky said about 60% of users were restricted from sending iMessages.
Lawmakers, including Senators Amy Klobuchar and Mike Lee, and Representatives Jerry Nadler and Ken Buck, have expressed concern that Apple's actions harm competition, eliminate choices for consumers, and discourage future innovation and investment in interoperable messaging services.
Apple has been under pressure to make its iMessage network as compatible with conversations between Android and iPhones as it is between two iPhones. The company announced in November that it was adding support for RCS, the preferred encryption protocol for Android, in 2024.