The fact that iMessage got the exemptions underpins the entire act.
I would any day switch to Signal, if there is 1:1 interoperability b/w the platforms.
@TheMadnessKing@floppy in Europe for most people iMessage is just the SMS app. Even though it pisses me off that Apple got away with it, having WhatsApp to comply with this is just huge. Everyone here uses WhatsApp, and now I won't be forced to leave Signal anymore.
It's really on American regulators to hold American companies accountable if they abuse their dominant position in the American market to the detriment of American consumers.
That's because iMessage isn't big in relative terms. It's pretty much only Apple users (and to make it worth it, you pretty much need a phone, just having a mac.and relying on iMessage isn't very useful tbh) and people don't always realise it but iOS isn't that big. It's a minority in the smartphone world.