Have you ever tried to send a message to someone using Telegram, iMessage, Signal or Google’s Messages apponly to discover that you have that person’s contact information only on WhatsApp? Soon, that may no longer be a problem. WhatsApp is preparing, in fact, to guarantee interoperability with other messaging platforms to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) of European Union. In other words, we could send online messages to anyone, from the app of their choice — and those people could receive them on the app they use.
WhatsApp will provide interoperability with other messaging apps: how will it work?
Like emails and SMS: Europe will soon impose, with the DMA, theinteroperability with other messaging platforms. But it won’t be an easy implementation. Dick Brouwertechnical director of WhatsApphe illustrated in an interview with Wired how the implementation will work.
Interoperability on WhatsApp will, at first, involve text messages, images, voice messages, videos and files. So, no channels or group chats for now. However, for the first time it will open the possibility for users to communicate through WhatsApp using third party apps like iMessage, Telegram, Google Messages e Signaland viceversa.
However, as The Verge explains, this will depend a lot on what the developers of the other apps do. The DMA only forces large platforms like WhatsApp to change — if smaller messaging apps prefer to offer interoperability, larger platforms may not be as willing.
The security theme
One of the most important issues concerns the security and encryption of messages during this integration process. WhatsApp proposes the use of Signal protocol to encrypt messages, which it already uses. However, Brouwer explained to Wired that he would have no problem using alternative protocols, as long as comply with the security standards outlined in the app guidelines.
Additionally, WhatsApp wants third-party companies to contract with Metathe parent company of WhatsAppbefore connecting to the platform. Details on this will arrive in March. “There’s a real tension between offering an easy way to offer this interoperability to third parties, while at the same time preserving the privacy, security and integrity of WhatsApp,” he claims Brouwer.
The impact of the DMA
The reason for this change lies in the classification of Meta come “gatekeeper digital” according to DMA, which imposes rules aimed at promoting competition between digital services. There DMA came into force last year, but the European Union grants a period of time until March 2024 to “gatekeeper” to comply.
It still remains uncertain whether these changes will be limited to the EU or extend globally. WhatsApp has not yet responded to requests for comment. Although WABetaInfo saw a section “Third party chat” already last year. Which suggests that WhatsApp intends to launch this feature globally.
To understand what will happen at an operational level, however, we will have to wait for the next few months. Our hope is to be able to have a single messaging app on our smartphone and on our PC, however capable of sending messages to all our contacts. But we suspect we’ll have to have two or three for a while yet.
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