Meta owned messaging application, WhatsApp, is gearing up to adhere to the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), a regulatory framework that mandates major tech platforms to facilitate interoperability with other services.
WhatsApp’s engineering director, Dick Brouwer, revealed that the company plans to announce its plan for supporting third-party messaging services by March 2024.
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Brouwer stated that WhatsApp will first concentrate on allowing cross-platform one-on-one chats involving text, audio, video, images, and files. This feature will be optional to reduce spam and fraudulent activities, with WhatsApp emphasizing end-to-end encryption.
However, Brouwer cautioned that there may be discrepancies between native WhatsApp chats and those with third-party platforms due to potential privacy and security implications associated with interoperability.
The DMA, which came into effect last year, is designed to foster a fair and competitive digital landscape within the EU. It stipulates that digital gatekeepers such as Meta, Google, and Apple must enable users to seamlessly transfer their personal data between services and allow other messaging platforms to interact with their user bases. Meta has until March 2024 to implement these regulations, failing which could result in substantial penalties.
The specific messaging applications compatible with WhatsApp’s system remain uncertain. Brouwer mentioned that companies desiring interoperability with Meta’s ecosystem will need to enter into agreements, the details of which are yet undisclosed. Potential candidates include Google Messages, iMessage, Signal, and Telegram, among others, although differences in encryption methods or features may pose challenges to seamless integration with WhatsApp.
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