Well that is the problem for Apple, the app is not used as iMessage but it is used as the SMS app and therefore it has by the definition of the law a huge userbase. Also business still use SMS at a reasonable rate so monthly active users as a KPI is also high.
Welcome onboard mate. 📱
How would that be a feasible solution?
If they stay true to their word, they will force them to implement interoperability and not just force them to give some sort of API access.
So if you install WhatsApp their plan is that Meta must provide a seamless experience in talking to every other person even if that person is using e.g. iMessage
A new protocol for the given reason is faster implemented, more secure and better scalable then just trying to do something with existing solutions that were never designed with something like this in mind.
That is not clear yet, since the law does not specify the protocol needed to make that happen. The law forces them to make the messenger interoperable while keeping features like E2E encryption. Basically like ActivitPub with more security / privacy features.
No they do believe that, because in Europe that is kinda true. You might find someone who uses iMessage if you go to the UK, but in mainland Europe iMessage is the same as GoogleMessages it is „the SMS app“. In modern days it is receiving messages only for most people.
FaceTime is another app that is hugely popular in the US but has almost no users in Europe.
But in the end it is installed on all iPhones so they will fall under the rule, which is not a bad thing.
The problem is that is a very complex problem and even privacy minded people often get it completely wrong. They use this massive blockers and think they don‘t give away any data. In fact most of them block advertisements and trackers but in return they created a very unique fingerprint which makes it easy to track them and get the same data as if the would have seen the advertisements. Not giving away any data and making sure the fingerprint is not unique is a very rocky road with a ton of roadblocks for the use of modern conveniences. The average user shares all data that meta is collecting anyway, most likely already with meta. They have at least 3 apps that completely track them, they have a personalized advertisement id and so on. So why would they care? That is like worrying about getting wet while taking a swim.
For every other person, they have friends that use these services and so share your contact information with e.g. Meta. They work somewhere in an office and most user accounts are name based. There aren‘t usually a ton of anti tracking tools in big corps so Meta knows what you do for a living…
Riding the privacy wave is the wrong argument, because most people can not escape the tracking if they want to keep „a normal life“.
You have to advertise you are better then the competition! Nobody cares about who takes less data, but most people want to be part of the „next big thing“, the cool thing or just the same experience but without advertisement. That resonates with people. Customization is often also a good entry point.
They barely get any extra data from federating with you and your phone number is known by meta anyway don‘t worry. 🤣 It is almost impossible to have an active mobile number and have meta not know about it. Has been this way for over 10 years now. Also defederating entire instances because you do not like the owner rly defeats the purpose of AP.
I rly don‘t see it that way. The main reason they went for ActivityPub was to fuck Twitter. They just want to bind users long term to Threads and the combination WordPress, thumbler and meta is a very strong argument. I don‘t think they care so much about the data of the small userbase. The care about potential ways to monetise NSFW content without alarming the advertisers. And they care about AP because that can make them even bigger then they are now.
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