Dick Brouwer, the Director of Engineering at WhatsApp, recently confirmed in an interview with Wired that the chat platform will be opening up its platform to connect with external chat apps, as specified in the Digital Market Act (DMA) regulations in Europe. This official confirmation comes after some people discovered this feature beforehand.
Brouwer stated that they will be adding a new menu at the top of the inbox called “Third-party chats,” which will be opt-in for users who wish to utilize it. This implementation aims to prevent spam and scam messages (although some have criticized this as a mere excuse).
Regarding the chat platforms that will be supported, it is essential for them to sign a contract with Meta, with conditions regarding the implementation of end-to-end encryption using the Signal Protocol. This ensures compatibility with WhatsApp’s encrypted chat system.
Previously, the open-source chat platform, Matrix Chat, had mentioned that they were working with WhatsApp to explore interoperability between the protocols.
TLDR: WhatsApp’s Director of Engineering confirmed that the platform will open up to connect with external chat apps, in compliance with the Digital Market Act. They will introduce a new menu for third-party chats, opt-in for users. The integration will require agreements with Meta and maintain end-to-end encryption. Matrix Chat had previously expressed interest in collaborating with WhatsApp. (Source: Wired, TechCrunch)
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