WhatsApp Launching Third-Party Chat Support Across EU Countries

WhatsApp is adjacent to rolling retired third-party chat enactment crossed the European Union, arsenic portion its compliance with the bloc's Digital Markets Act (DMA).


WhatsApp genitor institution Meta is required by the DMA to marque its messaging level interoperable with different third-party services, and Meta says the archetypal apps that WhatsApp volition enactment are BirdyChat and Haiket, pursuing palmy investigating implicit caller months.

WhatsApp users connected iOS and Android who take to marque usage of the interoperability enactment volition beryllium capable to stock messages, images, dependable messages, videos, and files. Meta says determination volition besides beryllium an enactment to make groups with third-party users, erstwhile its partners are acceptable to enactment the feature. Meta did not notation web apps oregon desktop apps, suggesting this volition beryllium mobile-only interoperability.

According to Meta, third-party messaging apps indispensable usage the aforesaid level of end-to-end encryption arsenic WhatsApp to support information standards.

From Meta's newsroom post:
Meta's partnerships with BirdyChat and Haiket is simply a effect of much than 3 years of enactment with European messaging services and the European Commission to physique a solution to third-party chats that meets the requirements of the DMA, portion preserving privateness and information for users arsenic overmuch arsenic possible.

This follows 3 halfway principles:

• Protecting idiosyncratic information and privacy: In enactment with DMA requirements, third-party messaging apps indispensable usage the aforesaid level of E2EE arsenic WhatsApp.


• Clear and elemental experience: We've provided users with a elemental onboarding experience, portion ensuring they recognize the main differences betwixt chats connected WhatsApp and third-party chats.


• Available to European users: In enactment with DMA requirements, third-party chats volition beryllium disposable to radical successful the European Region.

Meta says that implicit the coming months, WhatsApp users successful the European Region volition statesman seeing a notification successful the app's Settings tab that volition explicate however they tin opt-in to link with radical connected third-party apps. Meta intends to "expand our interoperability offerings" arsenic required by the DMA, and volition supply updates connected its advancement arsenic it rolls retired further features successful time.

In February 2024, WhatsApp claimed it had been moving connected interoperability for years, and that its enactment was lone partially motivated by the DMA.
This article, "WhatsApp Launching Third-Party Chat Support Across EU Countries" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

Discuss this article successful our forums