Meta is adding “third-party chats” to WhatsApp in the EU to comply with the Digital Markets Act, letting users message people on other apps that support full interoperability.
Over the next few months, WhatsApp users in Europe will be able to chat directly with people on BirdyChat and Haiket, with Meta saying the feature is the result of years of work with EU regulators and messaging partners.
Key principles behind the rollout:
Full end-to-end encryption matching WhatsApp’s standards
Simple opt-in experience explaining how third-party chats differ
Available only in the European region
Once enabled, users can exchange texts, voice messages, images, videos, and files with third-party apps. The feature is optional and can be turned on or off at any time on both Android and iOS.
Source: GSMArena
