Meta explains the operational details of WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger for users in the EU group to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) effective March 7. Both platforms being gatekeepers must open up their chat services for other messaging apps to connect and operate.
Meta states they have collaborated with the European Commission for almost two years to establish interoperability with other platforms while maintaining security and privacy for users under DMA regulations. In the first year, services must support messaging between users in a 1:1 format, including sending images, voice messages, videos, and attachments. In the following year, services must support group chats and calls.
Messaging services seeking to connect with WhatsApp or Messenger must use the Signal protocol as the encryption basis, which Meta has adopted as the foundation for Meta E2EE encryption. However, Meta does not block the use of other protocols, but developers must prove the security level is equivalent to Signal.
The connection details involve chat service providers contacting Meta servers via HTTP and message formatting in XML. The identity verification process, push notifications, and file downloads are stored on the chat service provider’s own server.
Interop with other platforms will be operational within 3 months upon receiving a request from partner chat developers but may take longer during the development process.
TLDR: Meta collaborates with the European Commission to ensure WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger comply with DMA regulations, allowing interoperability with other messaging apps while maintaining security and privacy standards.
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