WhatsApp has announced plans to introduce third-party chat support to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), aimed at increasing competition among tech companies. This move will enhance interoperability between multiple chat apps.
WhatsApp’s engineering director, Dick Brouwer, revealed that the company is working on rolling out interoperability to its 2 billion+ users worldwide. Brouwer highlighted the challenge of balancing interoperability with privacy and security standards but assured that WhatsApp’s approach would meet EU regulations without compromising much.
The new feature will enable WhatsApp users to exchange messages, make calls, and share media across different platforms via a new sub-menu called ‘Third-party Chats.’ Users will need to opt-in to prevent spam and scams.
It’s unclear if the feature will allow messaging with major non-Meta apps like Telegram and Signal. Brouwer cautioned that third-party chats might not have the same features as native WhatsApp chats due to privacy and security requirements.
Companies seeking interoperability with WhatsApp must provide strong privacy and security measures, including end-to-end encryption. Meta aims to maintain user privacy and security while complying with regulations.
