Meta to Develop WhatsApp with Cross-Platform Messaging Feature—In Compliance with EU’s DMA?

Meta is now set to develop WhatsApp to bring a new beta version that would feature cross-platform messaging, and this means that the instant communications app could soon send messages to other apps. Instant messaging apps now are centered on app-to-app communications, but that is soon to change because of a sweeping action from the European Union.

The Digital Markets Act is set to abolish massive capitalism and monopoly on tech, with many companies widely affected by this including Meta, Google, Apple, and more.

Meta to Develop Cross-Platform Messaging for WhatsApp

As the European Commission named Meta as a "gatekeeper" last week, a new change on WhatsApp is coming, one that would revolutionize what the app has to offer.

According to WABetaInfo, a renowned insider and analyst of the app, Meta is working on developing WhatsApp to bring cross-platform messaging to its systems.

This feature is seen in the latest WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.23.19.8, with the analyst sharing a screenshot of the instant messaging app's "Third-party chats" window. This centers on the support that WhatsApp will soon bring for chat interoperability, soon available to the future versions of the app.

Chat Interoperability for WhatsApp in Beta

With Meta being part of the "gatekeepers" list, the European Commission and the DMA's goal is to keep these companies "from imposing unfair conditions" among its users.

This means that the apps under the companies from the list should have messaging apps that could connect with other services, including an alternative app store, a.k.a. the third-party ones.

The European Commission further claimed that this law aims to "ensure the openness of important digital services."

EU's Digital Markets Act

One of the most significant rulings on technology now is the European Union's famed "DMA," also known as the Digital Markets Act, with the regulation looking to revamp the antitrust regime. This would highly affect massive tech companies from around the world and in the US, including the likes of Apple, Google, Meta, ByteDance, and more, with massive sanctions and rulings in place.

The EU's DMA will force many apps in the tech industry to change the way they operate, with Apple seeing massive effects on the likes of Siri, iMessage, and more.

However, Apple is standing firm on its decision to focus on its iMessage operations and not adopt RCS, the universal messaging system that is widely used by Google's Messages app.

Now, another massive company is making the necessary changes to adhere to the EU's DMA, with Meta looking to change a massive feature for WhatsApp's future iterations. For now, the information centers on an analyst's claims, saying that it is available on the beta version of the app, with Meta looking to develop it further in compliance with the European Union.