Meta has announced a feature called “Third-Party Chat” for WhatsApp users in the European Union (EU) as a part of compliance with the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) interoperability requirements. This requires Meta to give WhatsApp users in Europe the option to connect with people using third-party messaging services whose apps are interoperable.
WhatsApp will launch third-party chat in Europe in the coming months, allowing WhatsApp users to chat directly with users of messaging apps BirdieChat and HiChat. Meta said its partnership with these two services is “the result of more than three years of work with European messaging services and the European Commission to create a solution for third-party chat that meets DMA requirements while preserving privacy and security for users as much as possible.”
Meta said it follows three main principles:
- Protecting user security and privacy: To conform to DMA requirements, third-party messaging apps must use the same E2EE level as WhatsApp.
- Clear and simple experience: We’ve provided users with a simple onboarding experience, while ensuring they understand the key differences between chats on WhatsApp and third-party chats.
- Available for European users: In line with DMA requirements, third-party chats will be available to those in the European region.
The third-party chat feature will be available to Android and iOS users, and once it rolls out in the European region, users will see a notification in the Settings tab on WhatsApp explaining how to opt in to connect with others on third-party apps.
Once a WhatsApp user opts in, they can share text, voice messages, pictures, videos, and files through third-party chat. Note that connecting with people on other messaging apps is optional, and the third-party chat feature can be turned on or off at any time by WhatsApp users.
Additionally, Meta says they have “developed third-party interoperability while maintaining end-to-end encryption (E2EE) and other privacy guarantees across our services as far as possible.”
