DOJ Takes Aim At Apple: Lawsuit Claims iPhone Messaging System Perpetuates THIS...

The suit alleges that Apple's "green bubble" text messages create a sense of exclusion for non-iPhone users, particularly among teenagers.

The lawsuit, filed by the DOJ and 16 state attorneys general in a New Jersey federal court, argues that this social pressure compels users to continue purchasing iPhones, thereby solidifying Apple's dominance in the smartphone market. "This social pressure reinforces switching costs and drives users to continue buying iPhones—solidifying Apple’s smartphone dominance not because Apple has made its smartphone better, but because it has made communicating with other smartphones worse," the DOJ stated.

March 23, 2024

The DOJ's grievances extend beyond the color-coded text messages. The lawsuit alleges that Android users experience limited functionality when communicating with iPhone users, including poor video quality, inability to see typing indicators, and non-encrypted messages. These issues are said to occur in both individual and group chats.

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The lawsuit also highlights the degraded user experience caused by Apple's messaging system. "This signals to users that rival smartphones are lower quality because the experience of messaging friends and family who do not own iPhones is worse—even though Apple, not the rival smartphone, is the cause of that degraded user experience," the DOJ stated.

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March 23, 2024

The DOJ cited a 2022 exchange at the Vox Media’s Code Conference, where Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked about improving texting between iPhones and Android devices. Cook responded, "Buy your mom an iPhone."

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The lawsuit has elicited mixed reactions on Twitter. Podcaster Josh Barro questioned, "If they allow iMessage on Android, then how will we tell who’s a loser?"

Meanwhile, another user expressed a desire for equality among blue and green bubbles in mixed family group chats. Another user humorously shared how her husband receives grief from their sons over his 'green bubbles' in their family group texts.