A look at Meta's plan to build interoperability into WhatsApp and Messenger under the DMA; Meta plans to make third-party chats opt-in and in a separate inbox
Apps will need to sign an agreement with Meta, then connect to its servers. … X: @matrixdotorg : We continue to closely follow the Digital Markets Act and other initiatives pushing for interoperability. If you didn't catch the FOSDEM main stage talk from Matthew Hodgson, Matrix's project lead, we encourage you to watch the recording once it's posted! https://www.wired.com/... Juan Ortiz Freuler / @juanof9 : Messaging apps should be interoperable, just like you don't have to think what email provider your friends are on, or what phone brand they will be opening such email/getting that call on. EU regulators (+DSA) get us closer to what is right...once again https://www.wired.com/...
Context & Ripple Effects
Meta’s initial DMA approach makes cross-app messaging a controlled integration rather than an open default: partners must agree to Meta’s terms and connect to its servers, while users choose whether third-party conversations appear in a separate inbox.
Later coverage added implementation detail, including a requirement that third parties use Signal’s protocol for encryption and a staged roadmap that put group chats ahead of voice and video calling. The arc matters because the compliance mechanism—not merely the promise of interoperability—will determine how usable entry into Meta’s messaging networks becomes.
First-order effects
- Third-party messaging services seeking access to WhatsApp or Messenger must integrate through Meta’s specified process and infrastructure rather than simply exchange messages on their own terms.
- WhatsApp and Messenger users retain a distinct, opt-in destination for external chats, limiting immediate disruption to their existing inboxes while enabling access for those who elect it.
Second-order effects
- Potential entrants face both a distribution opportunity and integration overhead: signing requirements, server connectivity, and the separate inbox can reduce the practical reach of an otherwise interoperable service.
- Meta preserves substantial control over the boundary of its messaging platforms even as the DMA opens it, making protocol, security, and inbox design central competitive variables rather than invisible plumbing.
Third-order effects
- If this model is sustained, messaging competition may shift from winning users solely through closed-network effects toward winning them through service quality within regulated interconnection rules.
- The DMA’s effectiveness will turn on whether mandated access is sufficiently usable and neutral in practice; opt-in and interface choices show how platform governance can shape that outcome without eliminating interoperability.
The trend: This is part of a broader shift in which regulation makes dominant digital networks more contestable by requiring interoperability while leaving implementation details as a key source of platform control.