The Blue Bubble and Green Bubble May Disappear

            On March 21, 2024, the US federal government sued Apple for violating antitrust laws and for monopolistic practices. The lawsuit focused on iMessage, the default messaging platform on all iPhones. The federal government alleges that Apple not only intentionally locks iMessage features to iPhones to restrict consumers in their ecosystem, but also creates a less secure environment for IOS, the iPhone operating system, and Android users.

            Ever since the iPod was released, Apple has been creating a “walled garden”, an ecosystem that gives full control of all settings to Apple instead of the user for the sake of privacy and security. For example, the App Store on mobile devices is the only way for most users to download applications. Although it boasts a plethora of apps, all apps need to follow the strict regulations set by Apple, which prohibits third party app stores. This does indeed mean that IOS is one of the most secure platforms since Apple will check every app to make sure it is not malicious but comes at the cost of user freedom.

Another feature that Apple created to build the walled garden is iMessage. Unlike the App store, it compromises security and only serves to keep users locked into the Apple ecosystem. The blue bubble and the green bubble have been ingrained in digital culture as it signals that if an iPhone user is communicating via iMessage, an internet based messaging app, or SMS (Short Message Service), a cell service based messaging app. Features in iMessage, which can only be accessed if both users communicating have an iPhone, are superior compared to SMS features as it allows for better picture quality and encryption. In fact, there is no end-to-end encryption in SMS which allows for anyone to intercept the signal and easily steal the data. This may seem great, but it shows that Apple has intentionally not been implementing proper encryption between IOS and Android users. Big tech companies like Meta have proven that it is very possible to make a cross platform messaging app with end-to-end encryption. The DOJ uses this to argue that Apple is intentionally impacting the quality of Apple and Android users experience to lock Apple users into their ecosystem.

Of course, there are substitute messaging app systems with great encryption that act as substitutes to Apple’s iMessages such as Telegram and Signal. In countries where IOS is not the most dominant mobile operating system, most people use third party messaging apps to communicate. However, in a country where IOS users are the majority, like the US, it is strongly discouraged to use any other messaging app since iMessage is downloaded as the default messaging platform and between Apple users. Most Apple users are less willing to switch to a separate platform in order to communicate with Android users.

Apple has responded to this lawsuit by saying that the suit is unjustified since it tries to change the unique identity and whole ecosystem that Apple has created, which would lead to a less competitive product.

This lawsuit may end with Apple’s ecosystem, the walled garden, crumbling and force a shift in ethos onto Apple.