Meta gets to work and Already preparing WhatsApp interoperability WhatsApp was included in the list of access guards according to the definition of the Digital Markets Law, requested by Europe a few days ago.

This gives Meta six months to solve a real headache: Open WhatsApp so other apps can chat with their users. That’s not a lot of time considering there are so many moving parts, so it’s no surprise that there are already hints on WhatsApp that work is underway.

A separate place for external chats

The European Digital Markets Act obliges Europe’s largest messaging platforms such as WhatsApp or Messenger (but excludes iMessage) open your networks to third-party applicationssomething that was not used many years ago. Meta has triple duty as Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp are on the list of affected platforms while meeting monthly active European user count requirements.

As a result, Meta should allow other applications to chat with WhatsApp users and resolve all technical, privacy, security and potential spam issues in this regard. Even the European Union workshops predict that this will be complicated, but at least at Meta they are already thinking about it. Where will chats from other apps go?: In a separate place.

In WhatsApp, in a separate activity, the latest WhatsApp beta hides the window Third party chats or third party chats. It’s empty for now, but it’s not hard to imagine how chats coming from other applications rather than WhatsApp will appear here. For example, if these two people are interested in the application, here we can chat with people who talk to us on Telegram or Skype.

Meta has six months to enable interoperability on WhatsApp, but Europe requires it The first stage is only necessary to deliver a basic functionality: sending text messages. Other more advanced functions such as group messaging will need to arrive within 2 years to achieve full interoperability; including group calls and video calls will need to reach within a maximum of 4 years.

As a result, before March 2024, WhatsApp will need to allow other chat apps to send messages to their users. apparently it will show them separately from the rest of the conversations. The penalty imposed on Meta for non-compliance with the deadline will be 10% of the company’s total worldwide turnover, 20% for repeated offenses or other penalties for systematic violations.

via | WaBetaInfo

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