Goal He is already ready for the biggest change he is going to receive. WhatsApp in its 16 years of history. The company of Mark Zuckerberg has announced that it is enabling chats with third-party services in Europe to allow WhatsApp users to communicate with people using other messaging platforms. This implementation is necessary to meet the interoperability requirements of the European Union Digital Markets Act (DMA). The option will be displayed ‘soon’ in the European region for users of Android and iOS that they decide to activate it, since will not be by default.
Meta is forced to make this change because the DMA considers WhatsApp a ‘gatekeeper’; that is, a dominant platform that controls access to a key digital market. To prevent these ‘gatekeepers’ from limiting competition, the law requires them to allow interoperability with smaller services. This ensures that users can communicate between platforms without being trapped in a single ecosystem and makes it easier for other messaging apps to compete on equal terms.
BirdyChat and Haiket, the first apps from which you can chat with WhatsApp
The first services compatible with WhatsApp will be BirdyChat and Haiket. BirdyChat is aimed at work conversations while Haiket is a messaging platform focused on voice. Since Meta will only enable interoperability in Europe, the rest of the world will not be able to connect to these platforms through WhatsApp.
In terms of functionality, users will be able to share messages, images, voice notes, videos and files. The option of create groups with third party users It will come when the partners are prepared to endure it. Meta further indicated that connecting with external applications can activated or deactivated at any time. Users will see a notification in the settings tab explaining how to activate the function.
Regarding encryption, Meta’s interoperability solution is designed to maintain end-to-end encryption (E2EE)so that Meta will not be able to see the messages that are exchanged, and with other privacy guarantees. Third-party messaging apps must use the same E2EE encryption level as WhatsApp.
When users first connect to other platforms, WhatsApp will guide you through an introduction process so that you understand the main differences between standard WhatsApp chats and chats with external services.
This deployment is not immediate, although Meta’s announcement is that it is already enabling it. In addition to ‘soon’, he also points out in a post on his blog that there will be ‘in the coming months’. In any case, we won’t have to wait too long.