The European Commission’s landmark Digital Markets Act (DMA) is set to come into effect by March 6, 2024, and we’ve already learned how companies like Google plan to comply with the regulation. Meta-owned messaging service WhatsApp is among the few apps designated as a gatekeeper, meaning it has to provide interoperability with other messaging apps like Signal or Telegram before the deadline. We’ve already seen an under-development version of third-party messaging way back in September. A couple of the app’s beta versions over the weekend have revealed how this could be implemented.
WABetaInfo dug into a couple of WhatsApp beta releases over the weekend, specifically versions 2.24.5.20 and 2.24.6.2, giving us a good idea about how the app would go about enabling messages from third-party services. The former shows an under-development chat info screen for messaging apps. WABetaInfo clarifies that Instagram was merely used as an example in the screenshot below, and it isn’t categorized as a third-party app under the upcoming interoperability plans.
The chat info screen for third-party apps (left); Options to manage third-party chats (right)
Meanwhile, the subsequently rolled-out WhatsApp beta for Android (v2.24.6.2) gives us a brief overview of how users would manage third-party chats on WhatsApp. There’s the ability to easily turn off third-party chats followed by a Selected apps option, which presumably takes users to the full list of apps that have access to third-party chats.
As development on the Android app continues, WhatsApp is also working on adding third-party chats for the iPhone app. This suggests the feature could go live in the EU imminently. Based on WhatsApp’s recent notice on third-party chats, this new interoperability-focused feature will be limited to the “European Region,” meaning people who live outside the EU won’t find this on their WhatsApp accounts unless more governments across the globe come up with regulations similar to the DMA.
Despite being a decent starting point to curb Big Tech’s dominance, there are some limitations (at least initially) with third-party chats on WhatsApp. WABetaInfo has found that group chats will be unavailable in this mode, and the same goes for video/voice calling as well. However, these attributes could be potentially added to WhatsApp in future updates.
Maybe if we start telling people the brain is an app they will start using it!
