Phone Messaging is currently fractured across many platforms. Apple users, especially in the United States, tend to stick with iMessage. Users across the world use WhatsApp, while those in former Soviet states have a preference for Telegram. Privacy conscious users usually go for Signal. Google, on the other hand, is pushing RCS to replace SMS.
While all these services are an improvement over SMS, they require both users to have the same app to communicate. A European Union law seeks to change that, enabling cross-app communication.
The EU (European Union) regulations for 2024 require companies like Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta, and Microsoft to enable interoperability with third-party messaging platforms. In line with this, Meta has taken the first step towards bringing cross-platform messaging to WhatsApp. According to new reports, a new screen titled ‘Third-party Chats’ is visible on the latest beta version of WhatsApp.
As per WABetaInfo, with WhatsApp’s Android beta app (v2.23.19.8), you can see the ‘Third-party Chats’ screen, but you cannot interact with this screen yet. However, this is a strong sign that Meta is on its way to comply with the new EU Digital Markets Act by bringing cross-platform messaging by March 2024.
The EU’s desire is to keep the infrastructure open and interoperable between services and operating systems. The law would have consequences beyond simply messaging, pushing competitors to open their own app stores and competing services.
The DMA’s goal, per the European Commission’s FAQ about the law, is to keep gatekeepers “from imposing unfair conditions” and to “ensure the openness of important digital services.” Beyond dictating that messaging apps must interoperate, the DMA requires that gatekeepers, among other things, let users remove pre-installed apps or shop alternative app stores.
Both Meta and Microsoft are planning their own mobile app stores in response to the DMA. The European Commission is investigating whether Apple’s iMessage and Microsoft’s Bing search engine, Edge browser, and advertising service meet the bar for the new regulation.
Big Tech firms are competing more and more across all services, not just the ones in which they have traditional strength. Microsoft is making new moves towards mobile apps, while Apple is making forays into gaming.
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