Not really? 1) you can still have profile pictures from a limited though large set of their IP plus highly custom Mii and 2) the expected user bases and interaction methods between platforms is not at all comparable.
> 2) the expected user bases and interaction methods between platforms is not at all comparable.
Exactly. Pictures visible through normal use are not the same as an inbox you have to go out of your way to read.
At the very least, the sensibe thing is to make messages opt-in or whitelist only. Removing the feature to prevent harassment seems like a scapegoat. I wonder if this was being utilized as an illegal communications channel and YT\alphabet is worried about legal exposure