WhatsApp will introduce ‘Third Party Chats’ support to comply with EU DMA regulations

WhatsApp – Messaging app with support for proprietary end-to-end encryption (E2EE). Meta – Will soon add support for cross-platform messaging. Support for third-party chats will allow people using a different messaging platform to text users on WhatsApp, and Metta has said the feature will be opted-in to prevent users from being spammed on the services. can be stopped The company’s confirmation of its efforts to enable cross-platform messaging comes ahead of the March 6 deadline for the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).

When WhatsApp’s upcoming chat interoperability is enabled, users will be able to send messages with different types of attachments, said Dick Brower, Director of WhatsApp Engineering. Confirmed Wired will see a new “Third Party Chats” section at the top of their chat list that will let them know about messages they’ve received from users on other platforms, while keeping those chats saved by WhatsApp. will separate from the messages. E2EE Encryption

In order to send messages to WhatsApp users, other chat platforms can encrypt messages using open source. Signal Protocol And send them by connecting to Meta’s proprietary chat platform to send and receive messages. Brouwer told the publication that WhatsApp is documenting its client-server protocol, which will allow other chat services to connect their clients directly to WhatsApp’s servers and send messages to users across platforms. .

If companies don’t want to follow the recommended procedure, they will need to demonstrate that their encryption protocol matches WhatsApp’s security standards — or use a less secure “proxy” that communicates with their service. Let’s talk. According to the report, several popular messaging platforms have not confirmed whether they have partnered with WhatsApp to add support for third-party chats.

A feature tracker previously spotted a third-party chats interface in development.
Photo credit: WABetaInfo

The report states that regular SMS messages will not be supported for the third-party chats feature. Meanwhile, unlike individual chats, calling and group chats on chat platforms will not be available this year. Brouwer also mentioned that features on WhatsApp chats will be developed at a different pace compared to third-party chats. Users will also have to opt-in to receive chats from third-party platforms to prevent spam and scams.

While a feature tracker was seen earlier. Interface for third-party chats In development, there is no word from the company on when support for this feature will be launched. The deadline for DMA regulations is March 6, which means WhatsApp has less than a month to roll out support for the feature — at least in the European Union. We can expect to hear more about third-party chats on WhatsApp in the coming weeks.

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