Fight for Open  ## Metadata - Author: [[Matt]] - Full Title: Fight for Open - Category: #articles - Document Note: --- tags: [Open Source, WordPress, Policy] author: Matt Mullenweg source: ma.tt reference: [https://ma.tt/2025/10/fight-for-open/] date created: 2025-10-02 00:00 --- # 🏷️ Title: Fight For Open ## 🧭 Table of Contents - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) - [📚 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#️-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity) - [🛡️ DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ### 🔗 References - Include links cited in or relevant to the article. ## 📝 Summary - Apple raised notification memory limits for all apps. - Beeper advocated via the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA). - This change enables parity with Apple’s own apps. - It benefits encrypted messaging and interoperability features. - Bottom line: policy pressure yielded platform-wide gains. ## 📖 Main Content - The post highlights a concrete win for openness. - Beeper needed more memory for E2EE notifications. - Apple previously allowed only 15MB for third-party apps. - Apple’s own apps enjoy 50MB or more on high-end devices. - EU DMA advocacy helped shift Apple’s policy globally. - iOS 26 shipped expanded limits to 2.3B devices. - SMS/RCS interoperability improved for EU users. - The author thanks Apple for leveling capabilities. - Beeper’s app aggregates 11 networks locally and securely. - It keeps each network’s encryption and privacy intact. - This mirrors WordPress’ ethos of democratizing access. - Uncertainties: exact device tiers and rollout timing. - Also uncertain: long-term policy stability and scope. ### 🗒️ Notes ### [H1] Apple raises third‑party notification memory limits > [!quote] [Fight For Open](https://ma.tt/2025/10/fight-for-open/) by [[Matt Mullenweg]] via [[ma.tt]]. Published 2025-10-01. Accessed 2025-10-02. > “Apple’s default was to only give 15 megabytes… Apple provides for their own apps, which is 50MB… And up to 250MB on their higher end devices.” This establishes prior disparity and new parity scope. Useful for OSPO policy notes. [view highlight](https://ma.tt/2025/10/fight-for-open/) #xref #articleseed ID:rw_[MISSING] ### [H2] iOS 26 ships global change and EU RCS steps > [!quote] [Fight For Open](https://ma.tt/2025/10/fight-for-open/) > “as part of iOS 26… shipped to 2.3B devices… memory limits issue has been addressed globally… interoperability requests… SMS/RCS… addressed for EU users.” Indicates broad deployment plus EU-specific interoperability progress. [view highlight](https://ma.tt/2025/10/fight-for-open/) #xref ID:rw_[MISSING] ### [H3] Beeper frames change as open benefit > [!quote] [Fight For Open](https://ma.tt/2025/10/fight-for-open/) > “Kudos and huge thank you to Apple for giving us all new capabilities to build amazing experiences for users on par with what they seek to deliver themselves.” Signals collaborative tone, not antagonistic. Positions parity as user benefit. [view highlight](https://ma.tt/2025/10/fight-for-open/) #share ID:rw_[MISSING] ### [H4] Beeper aggregates 11 networks locally and securely > [!quote] [Fight For Open](https://ma.tt/2025/10/fight-for-open/) > “get all your messages… across 11 different networks… in one single inbox… completely secure… local to your device… the same encryption… is maintained.” Highlights product architecture: local processing preserves network E2EE. [view highlight](https://ma.tt/2025/10/fight-for-open/) #xref #articleseed ID:rw_[MISSING] ## 📚 References - [EU Digital Markets Act overview](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/) - [Beeper technical deep dive](https://beeper.com/blog) // If the exact post is missing, this link may not point to the specific deep dive. - [Apple iOS (official)](https://www.apple.com/ios/) // Product page, not a policy document. ## 🗣️ Paraphrase - Apple expanded app notification memory limits globally in iOS 26. - Beeper credits DMA advocacy and notes EU SMS/RCS gains. ## 📰 Newsletter - Apple’s iOS 26 brings parity for notification memory limits. - This is good news for encrypted messaging and dev UX. - Beeper confirms secure, local aggregation across 11 networks. - Policy nudges like the DMA can drive platform improvements. - Read Matt’s note: Fight For Open. See Beeper’s deep dive for details. ## ✅ Action Items #### DevRel - Draft a demo showing richer E2EE notifications on iOS 26. #articleseed - Publish guidance for memory profiling on iOS notification extensions. #xref - Collect developer feedback on parity impacts via survey. #share - Propose a talk on policy-to-platform wins at WordCamps. #articleseed - Update docs on SMS/RCS interoperability caveats in EU. #xref #### OSPO - Track DMA-related platform changes and developer impact. #xref - Add parity case to contribution policy briefings. #articleseed - Establish an internal review for platform policy shifts. #addendum - Define escalation paths for regulatory engagement. #xref - Include parity metrics in quarterly OSPO reporting. #articleseed #### Community - Host an AMA on encrypted notifications and privacy. #share - Create “first issue” tasks around iOS notification examples. #xref - Document cross-network messaging UX patterns. #articleseed #### WordPress - Core: note parity narratives for open ecosystem messaging. #xref - Mobile: review WordPress iOS notification memory budgets. #xref - Playground: prototype notification payload generators for tests. #articleseed - Community: panel on regulation and open platforms. #share - Documentation: add privacy-by-design callouts. #addendum #### The WPCC - Programs: microgrants for mobile notification performance audits. #articleseed - Projects: open governance clinic on parity advocacy. #share - Funding experiments: milestone-based grants for interoperability tooling. #articleseed ### FAIR - Technical independence: document local-only encryption patterns. #xref - Policies and covenants: parity and anti-capture clauses. #addendum - Productized governance artifacts: DMA response playbooks. #articleseed ## 🧪 Hypotheses - Expanded memory limits increase encrypted notification reliability. - Parity reduces feature gaps between first- and third-party apps. - EU SMS/RCS steps improve message delivery consistency for EU users. - Cooperative advocacy yields faster platform concessions than adversarial tactics. ### 📊 Methodology - A/B test notification success under 15MB vs 50MB payloads. - Measure crash and timeout rates across device tiers. - Compare EU vs non-EU SMS/RCS delivery metrics post–iOS 26. - Survey developers on perceived parity and time-to-ship. ### ❓ Questions - Which devices get 250MB limits specifically? - What telemetry confirms EU SMS/RCS improvements? - Are there new caps on background execution or network use? - How durable are these changes under future policy shifts? ### 🔮 Future Research - Model optimal payload sizes for E2EE notifications. - Create reference designs for multi-network secure aggregation. - Track regulatory influence on mobile platform APIs longitudinally. ### 💡 Implications - Developers can ship richer, private notifications on iOS. - Advocacy via regulation can benefit all ecosystem players. - EU users may see better cross-network messaging support. ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment - Reading level estimate: Flesch-Kincaid ~9–10. #### 👀 Visual learners - Present: none. - Improve: diagrams of notification memory flows. #### 🔊 Aural learners - Present: none. - Improve: short audio summary of policy impacts. #### 🗣️ Verbal learners - Present: concise narrative and examples. - Improve: glossary for parity and DMA terms. #### 🧩 Kinesthetic learners - Present: none. - Improve: hands-on lab with payload tests. #### 🧠 Logical learners - Present: causal chain from policy to API change. - Improve: decision trees for capability che - Summary: Sometimes the battle for open source and freedom can take on very prosaic and practical terms, but the wins can benefit everybody. To give an example: In Beeper we need more memory for showing noti… - URL: https://ma.tt/2025/10/fight-for-open/ Sometimes the battle for open source and freedom can take on very prosaic and practical terms, but the wins can benefit everybody. To give an example: In [Beeper](https://www.beeper.com/) we need more memory for showing notifications, because we support end-to-end encryption for networks like Signal, but Apple’s default was to only give 15 megabytes — barely enough to do anything. The previous CEO of Beeper, Eric Migicovsky, started a lobbying effort with the [EU’s Digital Markets Act](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/index_en) on behalf of the team to give third-party apps the same memory limits that Apple provides for their own apps, which is 50MB instead of 15MB. (And up to 250MB on their higher end devices.) Today we’ve gotten a notification that as part of iOS 26 update Apple has shipped to 2.3B devices around the world, our memory limits issue has been addressed globally, for every application developer, and some interoperability requests we had for [SMS/RCS](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/telephonymessagingkit) have been addressed for EU users. Kudos and huge thank you to Apple for giving us all new capabilities to build amazing experiences for users on par with what they seek to deliver themselves. If you want to geek out on this, [check out the technical deep dive that Beeper just posted](https://blog.beeper.com/2025/10/01/how-beeper-ios-implements-notifications/). BTW, if you haven’t heard of it yet, [Beeper](https://www.beeper.com/) is an Automattic product which aims to democratize messaging, just like WordPress democratized publishing for the world, by allowing you to get all your messages from friends across 11 different networks, like WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, Twitter/X, Signal, Discord, in one single inbox. The new version we launched in July does this in a completely secure way that’s local to your device, so the same encryption, privacy, and security each network provides is maintained. [](https://ma.tt/2025/07/new-beeper/), Fight for Open, Matt, 01k6jbq6ppd4c4sfpq4k8hkksa.