WhatsApp accepts its role as a “gatekeeper” in the EU and launches the first beta version where you can integrate external chat services.

After an initial notification for Third Party Chats While WABetaInfo appeared in an early beta version last year, WABetaInfo has now taken a first look at the service. From now on, a separate group will appear in the list of chat messages in which you can find all external chat messages.

Android users will have to wait a while to test it, but a limited group of iPhone app testers are already on board with the feature today via TestFlight. The latest version, update 24.2.10.72, includes external chats.

If the external chat service uses end-to-end encryption, WhatsApp must also adhere to this protocol.

The European Commission has appointed six gatekeepers under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). These are companies that, according to the EU, are responsible for so-called core platform services. Within the messaging platforms, only WhatsApp and Messenger are the gatekeepers for the time being. Apple’s iMessage is still being analyzed to determine whether it belongs on the list or not.

To ensure fair competition, a gatekeeper must make its platform available to third parties. Otherwise, the Commission can impose fines of up to ten percent of global turnover. In the case of repeated violations, this can even rise to twenty percent. The list of gatekeepers is not exhaustive. There is a possibility that Europe will see even more companies acting as gatekeepers in the coming months or years.

Earlier this month, WhatsApp announced that it was working on an AirDrop feature. You can now also send voice messages and create surveys in channels. Channel admins can share polls in chat for followers to respond to.