Summary
- WhatsApp will have interoperability with BirdyChat and Haiket in Europe, following the Digital Markets Regulation (DMA).
- Meta guarantees that end-to-end encryption (E2EE) will be maintained, and requires third-party apps to use the same level of security.
- The function will be optional and limited, in the initial phase, to smartphones, requiring a contract and compatible encryption protocol.
WhatsApp should open the doors to chatting with other messaging apps. Meta announced that it is about to launch integration with third-party chats in Europe and should begin releasing the feature in the coming months.
The integration follows a mandatory measure imposed by the region’s Digital Markets Regulation (DMA), which classified WhatsApp — as well as Messenger — as intermediaries in the digital market. Meta guarantees that it will maintain the messenger’s end-to-end encryption (E2EE) level.
The first two services to implement interoperability will be BirdyChat and Haiket, little known to the general public. The function will be limited to users with phone numbers registered in countries covered by the DMA. Since 2024, the rule has been in force that requires WhatsApp to work interoperably with competing services in the region.
How will it work?
Integration with other messaging apps will be an optional feature (opt-in). WhatsApp users in Europe will see a notification in the “Settings” tab explaining how to activate and, after that, they can decide to view messages from third-party apps in a separate inbox or in the main folder.
With the integration, it will be possible to send text, photos, videos, voice messages and documents. However, Meta informs that, at this initial stage, the function will be restricted to apps for smartphones (iOS and Android), and will not work on the desktop, web or tablet versions.
Meta’s main requirement for third-party applications is security: they must use “the same level” of E2EE as WhatsApp. The company guarantees that you will not be able to see encrypted messages in transit.
Despite maintaining this encryption, Meta is not responsible for the processing of data collected by the partner company. The company warns that third-party apps may handle data “differently” than the platform would.
For a third-party app to connect to WhatsApp, it must sign a contract with Meta. The main clause of this agreement is the requirement that the app use an encryption protocol “as good or more sophisticated” than the Signal Protocol, used by WhatsApp, Skype and Google Messages.
Source: https://tecnoblog.net/noticias/whatsapp-vai-conversar-com-outros-apps-de-mensagens-na-europa/
