Apple’s iMessage, Microsoft’s Bing escape EU rules [Video]

Apple’s iMessage and Microsoft’s Bing search engine got a reprieve from tougher EU rules curbing how tech titans do business, the European Commission said on Tuesday.

From next month, the world’s biggest digital firms, identified as “gatekeepers” by the EU, must comply with strict do’s and don’ts under a landmark law.

The commission announced in September that 22 “core” services provided by the designated gatekeepers — Google’s Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, TikTok parent ByteDance, Facebook owner Meta and Microsoft — met the thresholds for mandatory compliance.

The European Commission at the same time launched probes to consider whether Apple’s messaging service iMessage, Microsoft’s Bing, and Microsoft’s browser Edge and advertising service should also be included.

“Yesterday (Monday), the Commission has adopted decisions closing four market investigations… finding that Apple and Microsoft should not be …