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Meta is enabling interoperability for its Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp users in the EU, meaning they'll be able to message users on other third-party messaging platforms if they also use Signal's underlying encryption protocol, Meta shared in a blog post Wednesday.
Meta says it's turning on third-party interoperability as a part of its efforts to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which was passed to prevent large tech "gatekeepers" from preventing fair market competition or otherwise dominating the region's digital landscape. The DMA also calls for tech gatekeepers like Meta to provide interoperability between its products and those of its competitors.
Signal's encryption, which Meta already uses for both apps, will now guard messages as they move off Meta's platforms, but the company points out that it can't control what any third parties do with those messages once they've been received. Meta says any third-party messaging platform that doesn't use Signal's end-to-end encryption protocol will have to prove that their products are adequately securing message content to be accepted, however. Third-party apps will also have to pass a cryptographic signature process to connect to WhatsApp's servers.
"In order to maximize user security, we would prefer third-party providers to use the Signal protocol," Meta writes in its post. "Since this has to work for everyone however, we will allow third-party providers to use a compatible protocol if they are able to demonstrate it offers the same security guarantees as Signal."
Back in December, Meta turned off interoperability between Instagram and Messenger, presumably as part of its DMA plans. The EU has also deemed Apple, Amazon, Google parent company Alphabet, TikTok parent company ByteDance, and Microsoft to be "gatekeepers," but has carved out exceptions for Apple's iMessage app and Microsoft's Edge web browser.
Third-party interoperability across WhatsApp and Messenger opens up a much wider world for digital messaging, but Meta hasn't shared plans to allow users beyond the EU to see such freedom. The reason for this could be due to a perceived threat of competition or potential security risks posed by third-party servers. PCMag has reached out to Meta for comment.