WhatsApp Prepares for Interoperability Amid EU Antitrust Pressure

Apple's iMessage under EU investigation for compliance with the Digital Markets Act.

WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms Inc., is preparing to support third-party chats in response to the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), an antitrust legislation pressuring tech giants to re-evaluate their services.
The DMA is urging major messaging platforms to incorporate interoperability, allowing users to communicate across different platforms without needing to download a new app.
WhatsApp's latest iOS beta version includes a new “third-party chats” section, predicted to grant users access to chats from alternative platforms such as Telegram and Discord.
Apple's iMessage is also under investigation by the EU to determine if it should comply with the DMA. A final verdict is expected next month.
In 2023, Apple announced plans to support the RCS standard on the iPhone, improving communication between its Messages app and the standard Android Messages app. It is yet to be determined if this move will be enough for the EU to exempt iMessage from antitrust legislation.