Facebook is starting to bring its applications together by integrating Messenger functionalities into Instagram.
Rumor has it that Facebook is looking to merge WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger into a single app or to integrate functionality into each other. A project that Mark Zuckerberg’s company seems to have started by bringing Messenger and Instagram together.
Several users of the social network dedicated to sharing photos and videos have indeed seen a pop-up window when opening Instagram announcing the arrival of a “new way to communicate”, reports The Verge. A novelty which actually results in the merger of Messenger with the private messages of Instagram.
From now on, it will be possible to react to messages with more emojis, “swipe” to respond, add color and chat with friends who use Facebook. New features obviously reminiscent of Messenger. The Facebook messaging app logo replaces Instagram’s private message arrow.
For now, this merger of Messenger and Instagram is only available to a certain number of users, notably in the United States, but it is expected to roll out in the coming weeks or months to come for others.
A merger that raises questions
This merger of the two applications still raises questions, especially in terms of data security. Additionally, Facebook’s ambition to merge its apps could be seen as an abuse of dominance in online advertising. The European Commission had already indicated that it would follow this operation closely to ensure that there is no abuse.
One could also wonder about the interest of such a merger. In the case of Instagram and Messenger, we can still let it go, but if WhatsApp really were to be integrated in one way or another with other applications, security and privacy – essential points of the application – could be called into question and damage its reputation and its users.
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