First, not every iPhone user can be iMessage-only and SMS is a shitty experience. In most non-US countries, they’re not winning the iMessage shame battle, they’re driving people to WhatsApp. They’d probably rather people use the built in messaging app, which will incentivize you to use iMessage.
Secondly, getting more involved gives them opportunities to embrace/extinguish rcs (they said they won’t extend it). If they can use their market to force encryption on everyone, for example, that makes them look like the good guys against android makers. I could also see them trying to genuinely push UX improvements (eg stickers) on RCS and exiting iMessage from European Markets entirely.
Finally, If the EU forces open iMessage, it’ll probably force open other messaging services, which gives RCS an opportunity to grow. See point 1 about them losing already in Europe. Or gives Apple a horse in the race even if they simply withdraw iMessage instead of opening it up.
> Finally, Apple says it will work with the GSMA members on ways to further improve the RCS protocol. This particularly includes improving the security and encryption of RCS messages. Apple also told 9to5Mac that it will not use any sort of proprietary end-to-end encryption on top of RCS. Its focus is on improving the RCS standard itself.
> For comparison’s sake, Google’s implementation of end-to-end encryption is part of the Messages app on Android rather than the RCS spec itself.
Apple only has to comply with the law. The issue is that the EC is on a high right now trying to see how far they can enforce control over US tech companies, so they might just go back and double down with more legislation if Apple finds a way to comply with the law without complying with the outcome the EC actually wanted.