The European Union has recently reached an agreement on a significant competition reform known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which will impose strict rules on large tech companies that will have to offer users the ability to communicate with each other using different apps. WhatsApp is one of the companies that will be required to comply with the new regulations outlined in the European Union’s Digital Markets Act. This is because WhatsApp is considered a gatekeeper service since it’s a large tech platform with a substantial user base and falls within the criteria set by the DMA. With the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.19.8 update, which is available on the Google Play Store, we discovered that WhatsApp is working on complying with the new regulations:
As you can see in this screenshot, WhatsApp is working on a new section dedicated to the new regulations. Since it is still in development, this section is still not ready, it appears empty and it’s not accessible to users, but its title confirms to us that they are now working on it. WhatsApp has a 6-month period to align the app with the new European regulations to provide its interoperability service in the European Union. At the moment, it remains unclear whether this feature will also eventually extend to countries beyond the European Union.
Interoperability will allow other people to contact users on WhatsApp even if they don’t have a WhatsApp account. For example, someone from the Signal app could send a message to a WhatsApp user, even without a WhatsApp account. While this broader network can definitely enhance communication with those people who use different messaging apps and assist those small apps in competing within the messaging app industry, we acknowledge that this approach may also raise important considerations about end-to-end encryption when receiving a message from users who don’t use WhatsApp. In this context, as this feature is still in its early stages of development, detailed technical information about this process on WhatsApp as a gatekeeper is currently very limited, but we can confirm that end-to-end encryption will have to be preserved in interoperable messaging systems. In addition, as mentioned in Article 7 of the regulations, it appears that users may have the option to opt out when it will be available in the future.
Third-party chat support is under development and it will be available in a future update of the app. As always, we will share a new article when we have further information regarding this feature.
Up to a month ago, people were irritated and would constantly complain about having to use “too many chat apps” to talk with people. The EU then demands messaging apps to be interoperable, now people are irritated and will constantly complain that they do not want to send messages to X service or participate in Y service group chats
It’s comical
Apparently the feature can be disabled…But how this is implemented will be the main point. We’ll see. I for one welcome this (forced) change. Maybe I can finally uninstall Whatsapp.
I hold my bets that it’s going to use the Matrix protocol and keep using Signal’s encryption, this is pretty much what;;s out there already.
About too many apps, I never got bother by it really, but recently I discovered Beeper, which is a fancy frontend for an ansible playbook with matrix bridges for many popular chat apps, and I really liked the convenience of having everything in one app. The playbook they use is FOSS, obviously, and you can self host it, which I did. I use the Element app and I have bridges for WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Discord, Instagram and Messenger. There are some flaws and quirks still, but in time they’ll be patched out.
If you’re into self hosting, I recommend checking out the playbook, or if you just want the work done for you, check out Beeper (and for the American folks, Beeper has SMS/RCS integration and can use iMessage on Android, Windows and Linux)
Any chance you have a Beeper invite to share? I’ve been on the wait-list awhile.
do Voice and video work for WhatsApp and Discord?
Nope, as of now it’s not possible to forward calls to the bridges, so you still need the apps for calls.
they do not want to send messages to X service
I feel like most would understand it, Xitter has gone downhill.
Sorry I found it too funny that we cannot use the letter X as example in some situations as it could be confusing 😅.
i don’t want google or meta to have my data, that’s why i don’t use their messenger services and i don’t want some brussles boomers enable them to get access to it.
People who use Telegram and Signal wants to avoid Facebook at all cost and Zuck comes up with shit.
If each chat connection gets a unique ID and zero info on my [pseudo]identity then that’s great! Otherwise if this means they’ll plug me into their social network to profile me that way - nah, thanks
Not sure you have a choice, other than to opt out.
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It’s still a win if the move causes widespread adoption by the average consumer. The more privacy conscious can just use a different client.
It’s not a win in my book. If Whatsapp can send messenges to me on my signal app, I’ll need a feature in signal to block incoming messages from Whatsapp clients. Otherwise, Meta would still have access to the whole conversation without my permission and that’s a big problem.
This will probably work like Matrix already does, you’re not linking anything to a service. They’re just demanding that every messaging app use the same protocol (and encryption) instead of different ones.
You still, presumably, use HTTP for your internet needs, even though facebook totally works over it.
What’s the problem with a protocol for chat?
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They certainly do. They undermine HTTP too. And would have done much more harm if the Web was not founded with a different governance model.
EU actions like that in the title post stress this original, less centralized, model. It was naive to assume that free internet will remain free if left alone.
Paradoxically, preserving freedom relies on constraints and regulations.
if it is related to your job or to reach your clients. do you still want to refuse?
Then that’s something done on a work device with a work account and not a personal one. I don’t care what is on a work device, since it shouldn’t be used for personal things.
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As a Signal user this will be very much welcome. I abandoned FB and its messenger to cut down on aplications on my phone and giving a fat f-u to that cancer. Then I had to jump on Discord to keep in contact with friends but I just don’t like it. If I can Signal all my contacts regardless the bag of bricks they’re using, it will be a win.
Look at this https://lemmy.world/comment/3358486
Let’s wait and see.
I do not trust Whatsapp to provide the security of a signal conversation. Who wants signal and WhatsApp to talk to each other ?
To convert yourself out of WhatsApp, then your friend, then your other friend. Instead od doing it all at once.
People who use WhatsApp but have friends who want to use signal and vice versa.
Your average person really does not care about this stuff,they just want something easy and familiar. This is good for people who care enough to use signal but still want to actually chat to people.
I use Signal and refuse WhatsApp. However, my karate club uses Messenger to communicate, for example if you can’t show up one night.
My shihan asked if I could communicate with him over WhatsApp, which I declined. But I like the idea of being able to text him that I can’t show up, or if there are some changes needed to our website. Things which aren’t exactly sensitive.
It indeed is not a good thing, because Signal might not do shit with your data, but WhatsApp might. Your conversation is mirrored to the WhatsApp user afterall. Though It would be nice if it was an optional and “dangerous” option to enable in the advanced options section. Just like how WhatsApp will allow you to disable interoperability. Because I’d rather use Signal’s app over using WhatsApp if I am not going to succeed in getting others to join Signal at the very least.
I would be surprised if Whatsapp tried to implement its own version of Telegram’s, Signal’s and every other messaging app’s protocol to “talk” to all of these other apps. I bet they will provide an API to interoperate with Whatsapp that these other clients may (or may not) choose to implement, in order to send their messages to Whatsapp users.
In that scenario it would up to Signal (if they implement this) to choose how to display to their users that they are sending a message to someone who’s using Whatsapp, or to create options for users who want to disable this completely.
Me…if I am 100% aware the other end is using whatsapp. Then I know what’s what.
Like a lot of the comments here, I misunderstood it from the headline
The European Union has recently reached an agreement on a significant competition reform known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which will impose strict rules on large tech companies that will have to offer users the ability to communicate with each other using different apps.
I didn’t know this was a thing, what other apps/platforms are affected by this?
Interoperability will allow other people to contact users on WhatsApp even if they don’t have a WhatsApp account. For example, someone from the Signal app could send a message to a WhatsApp user, even without a WhatsApp account.
So it’s about being able to message someone from Signal to Whatsapp. That might be a good thing for Signal/Telegram users, since you always have the option to NOT message someone from those platforms.
What I’m curious about is what data Facebook can collect from a Signal user. I assume Signal will take steps to block third party data harvesting, assuming this even goes through. There’s a similar issue with Threads and other for profit companies joining the fediverse. At least with Signal there isn’t that much data to begin with. I think Fediverse platforms also need some more safeguards on the privacy/security side.
What I’m curious about is what data Facebook can collect from a Signal user.
Exactly my thought. How will participants be id’ed? Facebook won’t jump through hoops to prevent collecting phone numbers for this.
Registering by phone number has been a major discussion point towards Signal too and I personally only tolerate that because I trust them enough to only store them hashed. I don’t trust Meta.
one of the main reasons i prefer threema over signal is that threema does not run on any of my personal data to get started.
I heard that Signal said that they won’t interoperate with WhatsApp and such? Some blog was going on about that.
That’s too bad, but I’m not sure how they can enforce it since anyone can build their own version of the signal client, nothing stopping WhatsApp from doing something like that.
Anyone can build an implementation of the Signal client, but few do already because Signal actively works to prevent them from working with the Signal infrastructure, and likely will continue to do so. It’s one of the more common complaints about Signal, but it was built on the assumption that centralized services would be easier to use and to make private if the platform holder wanted, as well as more robust against attacks. They could well be wrong, and people just haven’t thought of and deployed the right tech, but it’s neither here nor there; I’m doubtful they can be convinced on this, and I’d doubt they’d be made to open up anyway by this regulation, meaning they’re not obligated to.
Yeah but will WhatsApp allow a individual’s custom Signal build to interoperate with WhatsApp?
I was more meaning that WhatsApp could include a custom signal build inside WhatsApp.
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Its literally required ( in some way ) in the EU. with the new DMA.
For me it’s really good news, but I understand why some people would worry about encryption and the data transmitted to bad companies.
Still, I’m sure it’ll also be reglemented and as long as you can opt out, I’m fine with it.
Will they do this everywhere, or only in the European Union?
Everywhere.
and they want to join the Fediverse too, they are acting like the guy that wants to fit in by force. It all smells like some monopoly shenanigans
Very useful if implemented well
Does the law apply to Telegram the same way? If not, why not?
ffs finally
