WhatsApp’s new beta contains a clue about how Meta is preparing to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act. The ability to send cross-platform messages is one of the WhatsApp programs in this regard.
WhatsApp, one of the most popular messengers in the world, is currently developing its new beta version. This version includes an important feature that allows WhatsApp to communicate with other services. This change is in order to comply with the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA).
CURRENTLY UNDER DEVELOPMENT, the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) is designed to increase competition and balance power between tech giants and other services and businesses.
This change allows WhatsApp to integrate with other services such as Facebook Messenger, Telegram and other messengers. With this possibility, WhatsApp users will be able to easily communicate with users of other services and share messages and files.
This change shows that WhatsApp is trying to provide a better user experience to its users by complying with the new rules and regulations. Also, this change could lead to increased competition in cross-platform messaging and allow users to choose between a wider variety of different services.
According to WABetaInfo, the WhatsApp for Android beta update (version 2.23.19.8) released today includes a new page called Third-Party Chats. According to WABetaInfo, at this time, this page is not functional and is not accessible to users. But the title is a strong clue. This is probably the first step towards opening up the Meta Encrypted Messaging app for cross-platform functionality.
The need to coordinate with cross-platform messaging capabilities
The beta comes days after the European Commission confirmed that WhatsApp qualifies as a “gatekeeper” under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) definition. The law stipulates that communication software such as WhatsApp must be compatible with third-party messaging applications by March 2024. This action is aimed at increasing transparency and control over the activities of large technology companies and protecting the rights of users and preventing misuse of their personal data.
The purpose of the DMA (Digital Markets Act), proposed by the European Commission, is to maintain competition and fairness in the digital market. This law is applied in order to prevent unfair conditions from being imposed by the gatekeepers (the largest information and communication technology companies). This rule also allows users to remove pre-installed apps or purchase replacement apps from stores.
Meta and Microsoft are both planning their mobile app stores in response to DMA. The European Commission is investigating whether Apple’s iMessage and Microsoft’s Bing search engine, Edge browser and advertising services comply with the new regulations.