New EU rules mean WhatsApp and Messenger must be interoperable with other chat apps. Here’s how that will work.

WhatsApp will soon make it possible to chat with people who use other messaging apps. It’s revealed some more details on how that will work.

— Apps will need to sign an agreement with Meta, then connect to its servers.

— Meta wants people to use the Signal Protocol, but also says other encryption protocols can be used if they can meet WhatsApp’s standards

— WhatsApp has been testing with Matrix in recent months, although nothing is agreed yet. Swiss app Threema says it won’t become interoperable

  • guyinachair@lemmy.worldEnglish
    62·
    10 months ago

    I can’t read the full article. I can already get Whatsapp/signal/matrix messages on beeper whats changing for Whatsapp?

    • Greg Clarke@lemmy.caEnglish
      17·
      10 months ago

      It’ll be end to end encrypted. As far as I’m aware, beeper needs access to messages send cross platform

    • GigglyBobble@kbin.social
      10·
      10 months ago

      Isn’t the just based on a matrix server connecting to all your accounts?

      What the EU forces them to do is to be able to send messages across service borders, so you could communicate with someone on WhatsApp, for example, without having an account there yourself.

      I do share the most upvoted comment’s skepticism though - Meta and Apple will fight this tooth and nails and make it so cumbersome (and opt-in, of course), it will have no relevance in practice.

      As a Signal user I’m also not happy that the very least I have to share with Meta is my phone number (that’s also criticism towards Signal though, I guess).