Dick Brouwer, the Director of Engineering at WhatsApp, has confirmed in an interview with Wired that they will open up their chat platform to connect with external chat apps, in accordance with the Digital Market Act (DMA) regulations in Europe. This official confirmation comes after the feature was discovered by some users earlier.
To address the issue of spam and scams, Brouwer stated that they will add a new menu called “Third-party chats” at the top of the inbox. This menu will be opt-in, available only to users who choose to activate it. This measure aims to ensure a safer and more secure chat experience for users, although some critics argue it may be used as a defense by some factions.
In order for the chat platform to support these external apps, it is necessary for them to sign agreements with Meta, with specific conditions related to end-to-end encryption using the Signal Protocol. This ensures compatibility with WhatsApp’s encrypted chat system.
Earlier, the open-source chat system, Matrix Chat, had mentioned that they were working on a collaboration with WhatsApp to explore interoperability between protocols.
TLDR: WhatsApp’s Director of Engineering, Dick Brouwer, has confirmed that the platform will allow connections with external chat apps, following the regulations set forth in Europe’s Digital Market Act. They will introduce a new opt-in menu called “Third-party chats” to prevent spam and scams. To support these external apps, agreements need to be signed with Meta, with specific conditions related to end-to-end encryption.
Leave a Comment