Last September, the European Union designated Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, as a gatekeeper company. This designation was made under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aims to increase competition in the tech industry. As a gatekeeper company, Meta is required to open up its services to others after six months, which means by March of this year 1.
Interoperability and Messaging Across Apps
The goal of this move is to enable interoperability and seamless communication between different messaging apps. Users of gatekeeper platforms like WhatsApp will be able to communicate with contacts who use different messaging apps such as Signal or Telegram. This means that people will be able to message you at WhatsApp from another app, eliminating the need to switch between multiple apps to communicate with different contacts 1.
Expansion of Interoperability
Initially, this interoperability will cover text messages, images, voice messages, videos, and file transfers. However, calls and group chats will be added later, potentially taking years to implement fully. The aim is to allow users to reach their friends or family without needing to know which app they prefer to use, whether it’s Signal, Telegram, iMessage, or others. This move aligns with WhatsApp’s platform-agnostic approach, which has contributed to its popularity, particularly in Europe.
Encryption and Standardization Challenges
While the interoperability initiative is a step towards seamless communication, there are challenges related to encryption protocols and standardization. Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, would prefer other apps to use the Signal encryption protocol, which WhatsApp currently employs, to ensure end-to-end encryption is maintained across different apps 1.
In conclusion, the European Union’s designation of Meta as a gatekeeper company under the Digital Markets Act has prompted WhatsApp to open up its services to other messaging apps. This move towards interoperability aims to enable seamless communication between different apps, starting with text messages, images, voice messages, videos, and file transfers. The long-term goal is to expand this interoperability to include calls and group chats. However, challenges related to encryption protocols and standardization need to be addressed.
