Meta has announced that WhatsApp is rolling out third-party chats in Europe to allow users there to connect with people on other messaging services. This implementation is required for Meta to remain in compliance with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) interoperability requirements.
The company said that the option will be rolling out across the European Region for users soon on Android and iOS for users who decide to opt-in, meaning it won’t be the default option.
The first services that will be implemented with WhatsApp are BirdyChat and Haiket. For those not familiar, BirdyChat is targeted at work-related chats, while Haiket is a voice-first messaging platform. Unfortunately, as Meta will only be covering interoperability in Europe, those in the rest of the world won’t be able to connect to these other platforms via WhatsApp which could cause some friction.
