Meta is on the verge of launching a third-party integration with WhatsApp in Europe – something that is required by the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This is rolling out “in the coming months” while maintaining WhatsApp’s level of end-to-end encryption (E2EE).
Meta says BirdyChat and HiChat will be the first third-party services to implement messaging interoperability with WhatsApp. No, we haven’t heard of them either, but this is what leveling the playing field looks like.
WhatsApp users in Europe will eventually see a notification in the Settings tab explaining how to opt-in to third-party messaging. This will work in WhatsApp for iOS and Android, but not on desktop, web, or tablets.
Meta says that “third-party messaging apps must use the same E2EE level as WhatsApp” and that Meta cannot view encrypted messages in transit. Content may include text, photos, videos, voice messages, and documents. According to the FAQ, this will only work for users with WhatsApp accounts registered on phone numbers in areas falling under DMA.
Meta warns that third-party apps may “handle your data differently” – is that a bad thing?