The European Union has passed a new law that could have quite an impact on what happens now with messaging apps like WhatsApp and iMessage. The idea is that the companies behind the apps will throw things more open.
If it’s up to the new law, smaller parties should be allowed to partner with the apps like WhatsApp, iMessage and Facebook starting in October. According to the European Union, they are so big that they should be more or less obliged to cooperate.
Big changes coming for WhatsApp and iMessage
According to European Union news reports, via TheVerge, the parties behind WhatsApp, iMessage and Facebook are to open the gates to smaller messaging services, when they request it. That way, it should be possible for users to send messages, photos and videos between the messaging services. But should also allow you to make video calls from one platform to another. So with WhatsApp, you should then be able to make video calls to someone using a smaller messaging service. Ultimately, it comes down to giving users more freedom.
iMessage logo
If this legislation goes into effect, then parties like Meta and Apple would have to make changes to their apps like WhatsApp and iMessage. Right now, these are still really closed services. For example, iMessage can only be used if you have an Apple device. But with the new legislation, it should be possible to use this App from your iPad to send a message to someone using, for example, Telegram on their Windows PC.
Pithy job
As mentioned, it will be some time before the legislation goes into effect. This will give companies the opportunity to look carefully at how they want to achieve this. People will probably say that privacy is at stake in this way. It is not clear what this will mean for the encryption of services such as WhatsApp and iMessage. It is also possible that it will be rolled out in phases. So you will be able to send messages between services in October, but video calling will not happen until sometime in 2025.
