Meta details WhatsApp and Messenger interoperability under the EU's DMA, saying third-parties must use Signal's protocol, which Meta already uses for encryption
Meta today is offering more details about how it plans to make its messaging apps, WhatsApp and Messenger …
Context & Ripple Effects
This is the technical implementation phase of Meta’s DMA response. It follows reporting that third-party conversations would be opt-in and placed in a separate inbox, signaling that interoperability would be added without fully merging outside services into the default WhatsApp or Messenger experience.
Later coverage extends the same rollout path to group chats, then voice and video calling, making the protocol requirement consequential: it establishes the baseline that prospective partners must meet before those broader features can be supported.
First-order effects
- Third-party messaging providers seeking access to WhatsApp or Messenger in the EU must implement Signal’s protocol, aligning inter-app exchanges with Meta’s existing encryption approach.
- Meta gains a defined technical and security gate for DMA interoperability, while partner apps take on the integration work needed to connect.
Second-order effects
- Potential partners must weigh the engineering and product cost of protocol compatibility against access to Meta’s messaging users; smaller providers may face a higher entry bar than larger ones.
- The opt-in, separate-inbox design means interoperability can expand user choice without immediately making third-party chats equivalent to native WhatsApp and Messenger conversations.
Third-order effects
- If this model holds, messaging competition in regulated markets will hinge less on a closed network alone and more on who can operate interoperable services while meeting the incumbent’s security and product constraints.
- The DMA’s practical impact will depend on whether mandated access produces usable cross-service experiences—not merely technical connectivity—especially as features progress beyond one-to-one messaging.
The trend: EU platform regulation is pushing dominant communications networks toward controlled interoperability, where shared access is paired with incumbent-defined security and integration requirements.