New twist in the Apple-Beeper story as a US Senator steps in
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Just when we thought that it was all done and dusted, Android users would never be able to send or receive iMessages from their devices, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren steps in and takes Beeper’s side of the story.
Senator Elizabeth Warren has criticized Apple for blocking Beeper. She alleges the tech giant’s move is anti-competitive and aims to protect its profits.
Green bubble texts are less secure. So why would Apple block a new app allowing Android users to chat with iPhone users on iMessage? Big Tech executives are protecting profits by squashing competitors.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) December 10, 2023
Chatting between different platforms should be easy and secure. https://t.co/fHAS5ckaEA
Beeper employed a technical solution to reverse engineer the iMessage protocol, allowing Android users to join the blue bubble conversation. This angered Apple, who claims it blocked Beeper to ensure user security and privacy. Apple also disputed Beeper’s claims of offering end-to-end encryption.
Here is the statement from Apple.
What’s the back story?
Beeper Mini is an app that allows Android users to send and receive iMessages directly. It achieved this by exploiting Apple’s push notification service. Beeper claims that its process does not compromise user privacy or security. However, Apple blocked Beeper Mini due to user security and privacy concerns. Apple argues that Beeper’s methods posed significant risks, including metadata exposure, unwanted messages, spam, and phishing attacks.
In response, Beeper’s founder, Eric Migicovsky, rejected Apple’s claims and argued that Beeper Mini enhanced security compared to unencrypted SMS. He offers to share Beeper’s code with Apple for a security review. Beeper also proposes marking Beeper messages with a pager emoji for transparency. The company believes public opinion will eventually pressure Apple to adopt a more open approach.
Beeper’s future now hangs in the balance after Apple’s intervention. Senator Warren’s vocal criticism has drawn attention to the incident, raising concerns about Big Tech’s power and the need for regulations.
What is your take on Senator Elizabeth Warren’s statement? Do you think that her interference will add more pressure on Apple to allow Bleeper to use their services?
