The European Union has recently reached an agreement on a significant competition reform known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which will impose strict rules on large tech companies that will have to offer users the ability to communicate with each other using different apps. WhatsApp is one of the companies that will be required to comply with the new regulations outlined in the European Union’s Digital Markets Act. This is because WhatsApp is considered a gatekeeper service since it’s a large tech platform with a substantial user base and falls within the criteria set by the DMA. With the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.19.8 update, which is available on the Google Play Store, we discovered that WhatsApp is working on complying with the new regulations:
As you can see in this screenshot, WhatsApp is working on a new section dedicated to the new regulations. Since it is still in development, this section is still not ready, it appears empty and it’s not accessible to users, but its title confirms to us that they are now working on it. WhatsApp has a 6-month period to align the app with the new European regulations to provide its interoperability service in the European Union. At the moment, it remains unclear whether this feature will also eventually extend to countries beyond the European Union.
Interoperability will allow other people to contact users on WhatsApp even if they don’t have a WhatsApp account. For example, someone from the Signal app could send a message to a WhatsApp user, even without a WhatsApp account. While this broader network can definitely enhance communication with those people who use different messaging apps and assist those small apps in competing within the messaging app industry, we acknowledge that this approach may also raise important considerations about end-to-end encryption when receiving a message from users who don’t use WhatsApp. In this context, as this feature is still in its early stages of development, detailed technical information about this process on WhatsApp as a gatekeeper is currently very limited, but we can confirm that end-to-end encryption will have to be preserved in interoperable messaging systems. In addition, as mentioned in Article 7 of the regulations, it appears that users may have the option to opt out when it will be available in the future.
Third-party chat support is under development and it will be available in a future update of the app. As always, we will share a new article when we have further information regarding this feature.
I do not trust Whatsapp to provide the security of a signal conversation. Who wants signal and WhatsApp to talk to each other ?
To convert yourself out of WhatsApp, then your friend, then your other friend. Instead od doing it all at once.
People who use WhatsApp but have friends who want to use signal and vice versa.
Your average person really does not care about this stuff,they just want something easy and familiar. This is good for people who care enough to use signal but still want to actually chat to people.
I use Signal and refuse WhatsApp. However, my karate club uses Messenger to communicate, for example if you can’t show up one night.
My shihan asked if I could communicate with him over WhatsApp, which I declined. But I like the idea of being able to text him that I can’t show up, or if there are some changes needed to our website. Things which aren’t exactly sensitive.
It indeed is not a good thing, because Signal might not do shit with your data, but WhatsApp might. Your conversation is mirrored to the WhatsApp user afterall. Though It would be nice if it was an optional and “dangerous” option to enable in the advanced options section. Just like how WhatsApp will allow you to disable interoperability. Because I’d rather use Signal’s app over using WhatsApp if I am not going to succeed in getting others to join Signal at the very least.
I would be surprised if Whatsapp tried to implement its own version of Telegram’s, Signal’s and every other messaging app’s protocol to “talk” to all of these other apps. I bet they will provide an API to interoperate with Whatsapp that these other clients may (or may not) choose to implement, in order to send their messages to Whatsapp users.
In that scenario it would up to Signal (if they implement this) to choose how to display to their users that they are sending a message to someone who’s using Whatsapp, or to create options for users who want to disable this completely.
Me…if I am 100% aware the other end is using whatsapp. Then I know what’s what.
Up to a month ago, people were irritated and would constantly complain about having to use “too many chat apps” to talk with people. The EU then demands messaging apps to be interoperable, now people are irritated and will constantly complain that they do not want to send messages to X service or participate in Y service group chats
It’s comical
Apparently the feature can be disabled…But how this is implemented will be the main point. We’ll see. I for one welcome this (forced) change. Maybe I can finally uninstall Whatsapp.
I hold my bets that it’s going to use the Matrix protocol and keep using Signal’s encryption, this is pretty much what;;s out there already.
About too many apps, I never got bother by it really, but recently I discovered Beeper, which is a fancy frontend for an ansible playbook with matrix bridges for many popular chat apps, and I really liked the convenience of having everything in one app. The playbook they use is FOSS, obviously, and you can self host it, which I did. I use the Element app and I have bridges for WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Discord, Instagram and Messenger. There are some flaws and quirks still, but in time they’ll be patched out.
If you’re into self hosting, I recommend checking out the playbook, or if you just want the work done for you, check out Beeper (and for the American folks, Beeper has SMS/RCS integration and can use iMessage on Android, Windows and Linux)
do Voice and video work for WhatsApp and Discord?
Nope, as of now it’s not possible to forward calls to the bridges, so you still need the apps for calls.
If they’re smart they’ll just do nothing to block spam via the new feature except offering a button in all new chats to turn the feature off (just like there currently is a report/block button).
Spammers will do the rest for them :(
And I’m not even worried about writing this here - I’m not giving them ideas, this one was obvious from the start.
they do not want to send messages to X service
I feel like most would understand it, Xitter has gone downhill.
Sorry I found it too funny that we cannot use the letter X as example in some situations as it could be confusing 😅.
Will they do this everywhere, or only in the European Union?
Everywhere.
As a Signal user this will be very much welcome. I abandoned FB and its messenger to cut down on aplications on my phone and giving a fat f-u to that cancer. Then I had to jump on Discord to keep in contact with friends but I just don’t like it. If I can Signal all my contacts regardless the bag of bricks they’re using, it will be a win.
ffs finally
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This will probably work like Matrix already does, you’re not linking anything to a service. They’re just demanding that every messaging app use the same protocol (and encryption) instead of different ones.
It’s still a win if the move causes widespread adoption by the average consumer. The more privacy conscious can just use a different client.
It’s not a win in my book. If Whatsapp can send messenges to me on my signal app, I’ll need a feature in signal to block incoming messages from Whatsapp clients. Otherwise, Meta would still have access to the whole conversation without my permission and that’s a big problem.
People who use Telegram and Signal wants to avoid Facebook at all cost and Zuck comes up with shit.
For me it’s really good news, but I understand why some people would worry about encryption and the data transmitted to bad companies.
Still, I’m sure it’ll also be reglemented and as long as you can opt out, I’m fine with it.
Like a lot of the comments here, I misunderstood it from the headline
The European Union has recently reached an agreement on a significant competition reform known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which will impose strict rules on large tech companies that will have to offer users the ability to communicate with each other using different apps.
I didn’t know this was a thing, what other apps/platforms are affected by this?
Interoperability will allow other people to contact users on WhatsApp even if they don’t have a WhatsApp account. For example, someone from the Signal app could send a message to a WhatsApp user, even without a WhatsApp account.
So it’s about being able to message someone from Signal to Whatsapp. That might be a good thing for Signal/Telegram users, since you always have the option to NOT message someone from those platforms.
What I’m curious about is what data Facebook can collect from a Signal user. I assume Signal will take steps to block third party data harvesting, assuming this even goes through. There’s a similar issue with Threads and other for profit companies joining the fediverse. At least with Signal there isn’t that much data to begin with. I think Fediverse platforms also need some more safeguards on the privacy/security side.
What I’m curious about is what data Facebook can collect from a Signal user.
Exactly my thought. How will participants be id’ed? Facebook won’t jump through hoops to prevent collecting phone numbers for this.
Registering by phone number has been a major discussion point towards Signal too and I personally only tolerate that because I trust them enough to only store them hashed. I don’t trust Meta.
one of the main reasons i prefer threema over signal is that threema does not run on any of my personal data to get started.
misleading title. it’s not “whatsapp working on third party chats”, it’s actually “meta is working on syphoning data off third party messenger software because european apperatschiks are high on lobbyist money”.
Wow, Facebook is lobbying for a law that eliminates their position of monopoly and makes it easier for its users to migrate to other apps. Zuck must be playing some 4D chess.
That, or maybe Facebook has been lobbying AGAINST this law, and your comments in this thread are just fearmongering and conspiracy theories.
I’m stoked on being able to uninstall whatsapp, so idk what’s this take is about. If I wanted to chat with someone that had whatsapp, I had to talk to them through WhatsApp, so they are already getting that metadata anyway. Let’s be honest, family memebers aren’t going to install a secondary app to talk to you, you will have to install whatsapp to talk to them. It’s how it works on basically all the EU. This is great.
