According to WABetaInfo, Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, has started testing a third-party chat function in an effort to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) of the European Union.
Meta Started Testing Third-Party Chat Feature
This brand-new feature is being created and tested in the WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.23.19.8, but it is not yet available. It is a major step toward making it possible for Meta’s encrypted messaging software to communicate with other instant messaging services.
This development happens in response to Meta, the company that owns WhatsApp, being recently named a “gatekeeper” under the EU’s Digital Markets Act by the European Commission. By March 2024, WhatsApp and other communication software must be able to communicate with other messaging services, according to the DMA.
The DMA’s goal of prohibiting gatekeepers from enforcing unfair restrictions and ensuring the openness of digital services is highlighted by a snapshot posted by WABetaInfo.
In order to provide interoperable services throughout the European Union, WhatsApp has a six-month window to align its application with the new European laws. The extent of this functionality beyond the EU is still unknown at this time.
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Using WhatsApp, users may text on many messaging services
Once in place, interoperability will make it possible for users of other messaging services, including WhatsApp, to converse with those who use the service. The gap between different messaging apps might be filled, for instance, by a Telegram user messaging a WhatsApp user.
Despite the potential for improved communication and increased competition in the messaging app market, questions remain over the maintenance of end-to-end encryption for messages sent by users of other messaging apps.
End-to-end encryption security is still a top focus, however there is still a lack of detailed technical details about this capability. Also, according to Article 7 of the laws, consumers could choose not to participate in interoperability when it becomes a possibility in the future.
It’s crucial to remember that a number of other tech goliaths, including as Alphabet, Amazon, ByteDance, Apple, and Microsoft, have also been named as gatekeepers under the DMA.
Apple may make modifications in the future even though it is not now compatible with cross-platform messaging because the EU deems iMessage to be substantial enough to fall under DMA coverage.
According to a report by The Verge, Meta and Microsoft are both apparently considering to launch their own app stores as a way to compete with Google and Apple’s duopoly while adhering to DMA standards.
