Meta has announced that due to interoperability requirements under Digital Markets Acts, WhatsApp users in Europe will soon be able to send messages to people using other messaging services that are interoperable with WhatsApp. This marks a major win as it creates a more level playing field for smaller messaging services, which will soon be more likely to be used. It also marks a positive change for people in Europe, who will have more choices when it comes to how and which platform they choose to send messages to people.
Say hello to chat interoperability!
Meta has announced that it is preparing to launch WhatsApp third-party chat interoperability for its users in Europe, which will be launched in the coming months. This means WhatsApp users will have the option to chat directly with users on alternative messaging apps like BirdieChat and HiChat, the feature is named Third-party chat.
The feature is available as an opt-in for users on iOS and Android. With third-party chat, you will be able to send messages, pictures, videos, voice messages, and files to users on messaging apps that have enabled interoperability with WhatsApp. Creating groups with third-party users on other platforms will not be possible initially, but will become available in the future.
Along with the announcement of third-party chat integration, Meta also emphasized that the development took more than three years of work with European messaging services and the European Commission to ensure that the solution met DMA requirements while preserving the privacy and security of its users.
“We have built third-party interoperability into our services, while maintaining E2EE and other privacy guarantees as much as possible,” Meta said.
positive changes ahead
BirdieChat and HiChat are the first two messaging apps that will initially be interoperable with WhatsApp. While these apps may not be popular or well-known, Meta’s development of third-party messaging integration into WhatsApp is still a major accomplishment because:
1. Meta is complying with the EU’s DMA
Meta is an American-owned tech giant that profits from an advertising-based business model. It is known for its uncontrolled and invasive data collection practices and processing – for which it is often criticized and sometimes punished in the EU.
For example, in 2023, the EU banned personalized ads on Facebook and Instagram, and earlier this year it was criticized for using public data of EU citizens despite GDPR data protections to train AI models – which the tech giant argued it needed the data for “legitimate interest”.
But now, Meta sees itself under pressure to comply with DMA regulation, which is a positive step in the right direction and could break the messaging monopoly that WhatsApp currently holds in the EU and beyond. By becoming interoperable, smaller messaging apps finally have a chance to compete in the market and gain market share, which can lead to better services, more privacy, and better treatment of users.
It is not just for Meta to implement changes due to the requirements of the EU’s DMA. Other tech giants like Apple, Google, and Microsoft also need to make changes due to DMA, but they often find latent flaws in the system. A perfect example is how DMA required Apple to allow app sideloading on iOS devices: Apple made it possible. But With one condition, it would charge absurd commission fees to any developers taking this route – a perfect example of malicious compliance.
So, considering how other tech giants have maliciously complied, Meta making WhatsApp Messenger interoperable is a step in the right direction.
2. More freedom of choice for Europeans
Just like choosing an email provider and being able to send an email to anyone, the same will be possible for WhatsApp users in Europe in the future. The more messengers that become interoperable with WhatsApp – the more freedom people will have to choose different messenger platforms. This is also important because it gives smaller players an opportunity to acquire customers and enter the market.
Speaking from personal experience, the introduction of Meta AI in my WhatsApp this year and other unwanted features like ads in WhatsApp Stories have given me enough reasons to switch to a WhatsApp alternative. Now, what’s even better is that if I decide to leave WhatsApp altogether, I’ll soon be able to send messages to my friends and family who aren’t ready to switch from WhatsApp. And many thanks to DMA!
what will happen next
As reported by Heise Online, Signal and Threema will not establish connections that allow interoperability with WhatsApp. Both of these end-to-end encrypted messengers are known for their strong stance on privacy and security, and neither of them are planning to change their security standards to be compatible with the Meta-owned instant messenger.
While it’s clear that these messengers will not be interoperable, there are still other good privacy-focused messenger apps that may be interoperable with WhatsApp in the future, and there is always the possibility that new messenger platforms will be developed to be interoperable with WhatsApp.
For example, Element is an open-source messenger platform built on the decentralized Matrix protocol. It allows you to send end-to-end encrypted messages, and it’s interoperable, meaning you can communicate with others on different chat platforms. While Element hasn’t said whether it will be interoperability with WhatsApp, Matrix co-founder Matthew Hodgson, who runs Element, confirmed to Wired that Matrix has worked on interoperability with WhatsApp in an “experimental” manner. But he didn’t say anything more or confirm that full interoperability will be on the roadmap in the future. Nonetheless, it is an exciting idea and looks promising.
Overall, this pressure put on Meta by the DMA is a step in the right direction, and it is good to see Big Tech complying with EU policy regulation. In the meantime, if you are tired of WhatsApp, we would recommend you to take a look at these best alternatives.
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