Apple Forced to Support RCS By China, Not EU [Report]

Apple was reportedly forced into supporting the RCS (Rich Communication Services) messaging standard by China, not the EU, according to a new report from Daring Fireball's John Gruber.

Last year, Apple announced support for RCS was coming this year after resisting multiple efforts from Google to pressure the company into supporting the standard. At the time, many assumed it was the EU's Digital Markets Act that had forced the company to adopt RCS; however, due to its low market share, iMessage will be exempt from DMA regulations in the EU.

Gruber notes that while everyone has been focused on the EU, the Chinese government has been working on legislation that will require all new 5G devices to support RCS (locally called 5G messaging) to get certified.


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Public Consultation on the Notice on Strengthening End-to-End Network Collaboration to Facilitate the Scale Development of 5G Messaging (Draft for Opinion)

In order to support the innovative development and large-scale application of 5G messaging (Rich Communication Services), enrich the supply of 5G application scenarios and services, and promote the high-quality development of the digital economy, we have drafted the "Notice on Strengthening End-to-End Network Collaboration to Facilitate the Large-Scale Development of 5G Messaging" (see Annex 1 for the draft for comments).

We are now openly soliciting comments from relevant industry, organisations and telecom users. If you have any comments or suggestions, please fill in the Feedback Information Form (see Attachment 2) and send it to shouli@caict.ac.cn (with the subject of the email stating: Feedback on the Notice on Strengthening End-to-End Network Collaboration to Facilitate the Development of 5G Messaging on a Scale).
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Sources have confirmed to Gruber that this is why Apple will introduce RCS support.


The little birdies I've spoken to all said the same thing: iOS support for RCS is all about China. Apple would prefer simply to continue ignoring RCS, on the grounds that they want to support neither any new non-E2EE protocols, nor any new carrier-controlled protocols (whether encrypted or not). But when the CCP says device makers must jump to sell their products in China, Apple asks "How high?" China, unlike the EU, seemingly knows how to draft effective regulations to achieve specific goals.

Here's a look at some of the features RCS will enable:
● Rich Media and File Sharing: Unlike traditional SMS, RCS allows users to send high-resolution photos, videos, and audio messages.
● Group Chat Functionality: RCS supports advanced group chat features similar to what's found in modern messaging apps.
● Read Receipts and Typing Indicators: It can show when a message is read and when the other person is typing.
● Video Calls and Location Sharing: Users can initiate video calls and share their location directly from the messaging app.
● Enhanced Business Messaging: RCS provides businesses with more interactive and engaging ways to connect with customers, like sending rich media, interactive elements, and branded messages.

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