The six months the European Union granted Meta for its two instant messaging platforms, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, have already passed. will adapt to the new legal framework described by the Digital Markets Act. During these months, since the appointment of the six gatekeepers, we have paid particular attention to the specific case of Apple with iOS, the App Store and Safari, but we must not forget that the European Commission has highlighted six technology companies with a total of 22 products and services grouped into eight large categories. Specifically, Meta was present in four of these categories, with six of its designs included in the said list.

The most striking thing about it was undoubtedly seeing category N-IICS (Number-Independent Interpersonal Communication Service), which we can convert to digital intercommunication services that are not based on numbering (e.g. telephone). Of course, the first thing that comes to mind for many of us with this definition is instant messaging services, but the truth is that other types of services can also have a place here, such as video conferencing.

I say it was surprising because the list consisted of the two services I mentioned at the beginning, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, so Meta did a double and was the only company present on the list. As we have told you on other occasions, of course each of the eight categories involves specific conditions and in the case of N-IICS interoperability was key, meaning that users of other messaging services could instantly communicate with WhatsApp and vice versa, both from their respective platforms.

However, today, when the obligations imposed by the European standard are already fully effective, WhatsApp does not currently offer integration with other instant messaging services. Because? Maybe Meta decided to break the law and exposed himself to a huge penalty? Was there a technical issue that prevented this? Or perhaps the company intends to use some legal tricks to justify this situation?

Well, actually the answer is simpler, although it may also be more surprising, and that’s all no other N-IICS has requested to link to WhatsApp from Meta. And of course the implementation of connectivity between two services depends on both parties, and the procedure laid down by the DMA is that it must be the interested parties who initiate the process with a request from which the work to establish a connection between the services begins.

The truth is, in fact, Meta has done its homework, as we can see in this publication on the company’s engineering post, where they also explain how inmaintain end-to-end encryption in conversations between WhatsApp and other services. However, they clarify that the implementation does not happen immediately after the request, but rather takes some time, precisely because of the technical tasks I mentioned earlier. Of course, this is understandable, it is striking that no one in this market has taken any step towards said connection.