US Senator Elizabeth Warren caused reactions with a strange alternative video of hers, in which she claims that the "green messages" in iPhones destroy relationships and that this is one of the "dirty tactics" used by Apple Lossless Audio CODEC (ALAC), to maintain control over the market of smartphones.
In this video, Warren expresses her support for the Department of Justice's (DOJ) antitrust lawsuit against Apple, but chooses a strange argument to do so…
iMessage at center of DOJ lawsuit
One of the elements of the DOJ's lawsuit against Apple concerns iMessage and Apple's decision to keep the app exclusive to the iPhone. It is argued that this is competitive and that the use of green chat bubbles for users Android creates "social oppression".
“Many non-iPhone users also experience social pressure, exclusion and responsibility for 'breaking' the talks where other participants use iPhones,” the lawsuit states. He goes on to note that this is particularly powerful for certain demographics, such as teenagers, who, as The Wall Street Journal reported two years ago, "fear the ostracism" that comes with owning an Android device.
Apple says this is an example of the government trying to turn the iPhone into an Android device. A lawyer commenting on the complaint said this was the equivalent of the DOJ complaining that people think the iPhone is cool.
Warren says green messages destroy relationships
Ms Warren tweeted that non-iPhone users were being shut out of important conversations - and argued that Apple had "a monopoly on smartphones".
Green messages on iPhones destroy relationships. Yes, non-iPhone users everywhere are locked out of group chats, from sports team chats to birthdays and vacation plans. They are eliminated. They lose footage and conversations. And who is to blame here? Apple.
This is just one of the dirty tactics used by Apple to maintain a multi-year grip on the smartphone market. Apple has used its smartphone monopoly to lock Americans into services and rake in billions of dollars in profits. Apple still takes a percentage every time you tap to pay, and has blocked a new app that would allow Android users to finally use iMessage and receive those blue messages.
That's why a month ago the Justice Department fought against Apple for broad market takeover. And that is the right thing to do. It's time to break Apple's monopoly now.
In this way, the statement of Sen. Warren highlights an enlightening dialogue around competition and Apple's practices while providing an introduction to the points at issue in the DOJ's lawsuit against the company. This discussion is an important part of informing consumers and the decisions that affect how technologies are used in our daily lives.
