Senator Warren Questions Apple's Move to Shutdown Beeper

Aldohn Domingo, Tech Times 10 December 2023, 10:12 pm

Apple's decision to shut down Beeper, an application that allows Android users to message iPhone users through iMessage, has reportedly been called out by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), as per Tech Crunch.

The Senator has described the move as a way for Big Tech executives to protect profits by "squashing competitors." Senator Warren added that SMS is less secure than iMessage, with her post reading, "Green bubble texts are less secure. So why would Apple block a new app allowing Android users to chat with iPhone users on iMessage?"

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She then concluded the post by advocating for everyone's secure chatting, stating, "Chatting between different platforms should be easy and secure." Warren, a supporter of stricter antitrust laws, reportedly endorsed Beeper through a post on X while citing The Verge's report on Apple's decision to block Beeper.

Apple took action against Beeper, a firm that had bypassed the iMessage protocol to enable Android users to communicate over iMessage in a "blue bubble" with owners of Apple devices, on Friday, as previously reported by Tech Times.

Apple's Reasons for Shutting Down Beeper

Apple noted that it took precautions to safeguard customers by preventing methods using fictitious credentials to access iMessage while defending its decision to deny Beeper server access. Additionally, Apple implied that Beeper's procedures presented severe threats to user privacy and security, including the possibility of metadata leakage and the facilitation of spam, phishing, and unsolicited messaging.

The Tech Crunch report adds that the Cupertino-based tech giant contested Beeper's security, claiming it could not confirm that messages transmitted using unapproved channels could retain the end-to-end encryption that iMessage provides.

Although it did not subject its software to a third-party security audit before launching, Beeper reportedly argued that it could provide the same degree of encryption as iMessage.

Beeper Still Breathing

The Beeper team has, however, been fighting to keep their app, Beeper Mini, running throughout the weekend, as per the report. The business stated in its most recent statement from Sunday that it is still working to resolve the issue and should "have good news to share soon."

Eric Migicovsky, the CEO of Beeper, told The Verge, as per a previous Macrumors report, that the company was prepared to work with Apple on a security examination of Beeper's code after Apple released its statement. He questioned Apple's choice, stressing the need for safe lines of communication between users of iPhones and Android phones and the shortcomings of unencrypted SMS for cross-platform communications.

Despite Apple's unwavering position, Migicovsky is reportedly still dedicated to looking into ways to make Beeper Mini or similar services possible again.

Founded a few years ago, Beeper reportedly uses a technical approach that entailed reverse engineering the iMessage protocol, first discovered by a teenager. Beeper had been working on a more comprehensive software solution called Beeper Cloud that combined all of the users' chat applications into a single interface before it became known for its Beeper Mini. This app was solely focused on offering iMessage to Android users for $1.99 a month, with plans to add more features later on before Apple shut it down.