In huge move, WhatsApp set to introduce third-party chat integration

WhatsApp, owned by Meta, plans to introduce third-party chat support ahead of EU regulations, aiming to enhance interoperability while preserving privacy.

WhatsApp, owned by Meta, is set to introduce third-party chat support, complying with EU regulations. (Bloomberg)

WhatsApp, a messaging platform owned by Meta, is reportedly gearing up to facilitate third-party messaging apps on its platform, anticipating the enforcement of the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) by March.

In an interview with Wired, Dick Brouwer, an engineering director at WhatsApp, stated that the company is prepared to offer interoperability on its platform, catering to its over 2 billion users.

Privacy, Security, and Interoperability

Brouwer highlighted the challenge of balancing the provision of interoperability for third parties while maintaining WhatsApp's standards of privacy, security, and integrity. He expressed contentment with the current approach, stating, "I think we're pretty happy with where we've landed."

The EU incorporated messaging interoperability into the DMA in 2022, mandating dominant platforms like WhatsApp and Messenger to open their services to other chat applications.

Meta's Initiative

Meta is also endeavouring to integrate support for additional chat apps into Messenger. Initially, this integration will focus on one-on-one chats, enabling users to exchange text, audio, video, images, and files across apps. This feature will be accessible through a new sub-menu labelled "Third-party chats," as previously reported by WABetaInfo.

Brouwer, who spearheaded the implementation of end-to-end encryption for Messenger last year, emphasised that this integration will be opt-in to mitigate spam and scams. He explained, "I can choose whether or not I want to participate in being open to exchanging messages with third parties. This is important because it could be a big source of spam and scams."

Companies seeking interoperability with Meta's system will be required to enter into agreements, the details of which remain undisclosed. WhatsApp will mandate end-to-end encryption for enabling interoperability. However, Apple's recent modifications to the App Store suggest that the terms may not be straightforward.

Matthew Hodgson, the founder of the open-source messaging protocol Matrix, mentioned during a talk that Matrix has collaborated with WhatsApp on an "experimental" basis to maintain end-to-end encryption. It remains uncertain if other operators such as Telegram, Viber, and Google are planning to incorporate interoperability with WhatsApp.

Brouwer cautioned that third-party chats and WhatsApp's native chats may not achieve feature parity, as interoperability could introduce new privacy and security concerns.

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