Meta plans to introduce third-party integration with WhatsApp in Europe, complying with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This rollout is expected to happen over the coming months, with the assurance that WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption (E2EE) will remain intact.
BirdyChat and Haiket are identified as the initial third-party services that will enable messaging interoperability with WhatsApp. Users in Europe will receive notifications within the settings tab explaining how to opt into this third-party messaging feature. This functionality will be available on WhatsApp for iOS and Android devices but will not extend to desktops, web, or tablets.
According to Meta, third-party messaging applications must adhere to the same E2EE standards as WhatsApp, meaning the company cannot access encrypted messages during transmission. Supported content types include text, photos, videos, voice messages, and documents. However, this integration will only apply to users with WhatsApp accounts registered with phone numbers from regions encompassed by the DMA.
Meta has cautioned that third-party applications may manage user data differently than WhatsApp does, raising questions about potential implications for user privacy and data security.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/820858/whatsapp-third-party-messaging-date-eu-e2ee