WhatsApp, owned by Meta, is making changes to comply with new rules from the European Union (EU). These rules, called the Digital Markets Act (DMA), target companies like WhatsApp, considering them "gatekeepers" due to their significant presence in the messaging market.
Chat Interoperability Feature
To meet these regulations, WhatsApp is working on a new feature called 'Third-party Chats.' This feature will create a section where users can receive messages from other messaging apps, promoting interoperability. This means users could communicate with others on WhatsApp using different messaging platforms like Signal.
User Control and Regulations
WhatsApp plans to allow users to manually enable or disable this interoperability service to ensure user control. This aligns with Article 7 of the regulations, allowing users to opt-out if they prefer not to use this feature.
New File Sharing Feature
Additionally, WhatsApp is developing a file-sharing feature. Users can easily share files with people nearby, making the process secure. Both users need to open the 'people nearby' section to use this feature.
Adapting to EU Regulations
The changes in WhatsApp come in response to the EU's efforts to regulate major players in the digital space. The DMA particularly targets platforms that hold a dominant position, imposing stricter rules to ensure fair competition and user protection.
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