They can, but why would they? RCS is essentially googles standard, it’s just more open than Apples equivalent.
For the most part Apple and Apple users just don’t care. iMessage works for most everyone, and for texting non-Apple users a 3rd party app is used.
It’s not impossible that it happens, but it’s only going to happen once their hand is forced.
So then the answer isn’t “its a google monopoly” its ‘google choose to work with the nonprofit and we didn’t’. Im sure the 1200 company strong industry nonprofit would have loved to have apple at the table for a collaborative development on an open standard. They’ve done it before with usb c, they chose not to. If anything google would be asserting monopoly over other people who choose to provide RCS services, not anyone that chooses not to. I get it though, if I was Apple I’d be terrified of having to compete with googles net infrastructure, they would lose unless they got amazon on their team.
