The EU’s Digital Markets Act, introduced to prevent anti-competitive behavior by tech giants, specifically mandates that large messaging platforms must allow users to communicate across different services. Meta, one of the “gatekeepers” under this law, is now required to make WhatsApp and Messenger interoperable with other apps. This ensures that users aren’t locked into a single platform and can communicate across messaging services without friction.
WhatsApp and Messenger currently operate in silos, limiting users to communicate only with others on the same platform. However, with the upcoming changes, WhatsApp users in Europe will be able to send messages to friends using iMessage, Telegram, Signal, and other popular apps, and vice versa.
How Interoperability Will Work
Meta has outlined a detailed framework for how third-party chat integration will work within WhatsApp and Messenger.
User Control and Customization
Meta will not enforce a universal model but rather allow users to select which external messaging platforms they want to connect with. Users can choose to either keep third-party chats separate in a dedicated inbox folder or integrate them with their existing WhatsApp and Messenger conversations. This flexibility ensures that users can tailor their messaging experience according to their preferences.
Onboarding Process
For those unfamiliar with integrating different messaging platforms, Meta is introducing an intuitive onboarding process. The system will guide users through the steps of linking their accounts with external services and allow them to choose which apps to include in their messaging ecosystem. This onboarding will also notify users as Meta rolls out compatibility with new third-party platforms.
Full Rich Messaging Features
Meta aims to ensure that users don’t lose access to essential features when messaging across platforms. Rich messaging features, such as message reactions, direct replies, typing indicators, and read receipts, will all be available from the start. By 2025, users will also be able to create group chats with people from different apps, and by 2027, voice and video calling features are expected to be integrated as well.
Security and Encryption: A Major Hurdle
One of the most significant challenges in making these different messaging platforms interoperable is ensuring that security, particularly encryption, remains intact. Meta plans to overcome this by extending access to the Signal Protocol, which WhatsApp already uses for end-to-end encryption. This protocol ensures that messages remain private and secure, preventing unauthorized access or interception.
However, for third-party apps to integrate this level of encryption, they would need to incorporate the Signal Protocol themselves and meet Meta’s security standards. Meta plans to review and approve the implementation of this protocol in each app before enabling interoperability. This process is a critical step in ensuring that privacy and security are maintained across platforms, though it adds an extra layer of complexity for service providers.
While the concept of seamless communication across multiple platforms sounds appealing, executing it presents several challenges. Ensuring technical compatibility between different messaging services, each with its own infrastructure is no small feat. Meta must coordinate with external service providers to guarantee smooth messaging experiences without bugs or interruptions. For smaller apps or those with less stringent encryption standards, integrating with Meta’s messaging services could be a challenging, time-consuming process.
Moreover, Meta’s solution to use the Signal Protocol for encryption requires third-party apps to adopt a high level of security. This could slow down the integration process as not all messaging apps may have the resources or capability to implement this security protocol quickly.
As exciting as these changes are, they will initially be limited to users in the EU. The DMA mandates that these services be interoperable only within the European Union, leaving users in other regions out of this groundbreaking shift in messaging. While Meta has the capability to expand these services worldwide, it’s unclear whether the company has any incentive to do so.
Meta’s business model does not benefit directly from global interoperability, as the company profits from keeping users within its ecosystem. Moreover, regulatory bodies in other parts of the world have not shown the same level of interest in imposing interoperability mandates, reducing the likelihood of similar laws being introduced outside Europe.
For now, Meta’s interoperability efforts appear to be driven solely by the requirements of the DMA, and without similar regulations elsewhere, global expansion seems improbable.
Meta’s move to enable interoperability between WhatsApp, Messenger, and third-party messaging apps represents a significant shift in the way users in Europe will communicate. This change, driven by the EU’s Digital Markets Act, will give users greater flexibility and control over their messaging experience, ensuring that they can interact across platforms without losing key features or compromising security.
Despite the technical challenges involved, Meta is committed to making this transition as smooth as possible, with rich messaging features and strong encryption from day one. However, for users outside the EU, the prospects of enjoying similar features remain uncertain.
In the end, while the introduction of interoperability is a huge leap forward for messaging in Europe, its future on the global stage remains in the hands of regulators and Meta’s willingness to expand this functionality worldwide.
