In the wake of the introduction of a comprehensive act on digital markets in the European Union, many tech giants are facing the need to adjust their operations and data processing practices. One such company is META, whose popular messaging applications WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger have raised concerns among regulators for potentially impeding competition. As a result, META will be required to enable interoperability with other messaging platforms by March 2024, although two notable competitors appear to be uninterested in this development.
Signal and Threema, two rising messaging platforms, theoretically have the option to request access to the basic interoperability features with WhatsApp. However, both companies have indicated a lack of interest in this opportunity, as reported by the German IT magazine Heise Online.
Signal’s President, Meredith Whitter, emphasized the company’s unwavering commitment to high privacy standards, stating, “Collaboration with Facebook Messenger, iMessage, WhatsApp, or any other service would compromise our stringent data protection measures, which we aim to only strengthen.”
A representative from Threma echoed similar sentiments, asserting, “Our security and privacy standards are fundamentally incompatible. We cannot compromise on these principles, as they define the core of Threma’s service.”
Despite the potential benefits of allowing Signal and Threema users to communicate with a larger audience through interoperability with WhatsApp, both companies have prioritized maintaining the integrity of their privacy practices for themselves and their users.
While WhatsApp does utilize encryption protocols similar to Signal and Threma for chat security, it does not offer the same level of metadata protection. Metadata, which does not include message content but reveals communication patterns, can still be valuable and sensitive information.
Concerns have also been raised about the implications of third-party organizations not having full control over user data upon its transfer to WhatsApp, given the app’s closed-source nature. Additionally, the restrictions and agreements required for interaction with WhatsApp may pose challenges for competitors seeking access. Furthermore, it remains uncertain whether WhatsApp will open its services globally or only within the European Union, mirroring Apple’s plan to introduce a specialized version of iOS compliant with EU regulations.
As of now, Telegram, a widely-used messaging platform with a larger user base than Signal and Threma combined, has not disclosed its stance on potential interaction with WhatsApp.