Quickly send a message that you’re coming home later or share your latest favorite video – WhatsApp has become an integral part of our everyday lives. A year ago, the messenger service introduced new terms and conditions that allow data to be passed on to Facebook and thus to Meta.
New terms and conditions are driving WhatsApp users away
WhatsApp
Image: Pixabay / antonbe
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Many users therefore wanted to switch to another service, but then didn’t do so because WhatsApp is the messenger that most of their friends or family members have on their smartphones. Anyone who rejects WhatsApp and switches to another service such as Signal or Threema sometimes finds it difficult to persuade loved ones to switch and is therefore no longer available to them, at least via WhatsApp.
EU decision forces WhatsApp to cooperate
Until now. Like the ZDF in a message reports that the EU Parliament passed a law yesterday that forces WhatsApp to open up to other messengers. In plain language, this means that Threema users should be able to write messages to WhatsApp users in the future without first having WhatsApp installed on their cell phone. The WhatsApp user then receives a request as to whether he wants to accept the message from the Threema user.
MEP Patrick Breyer stressed:
“For the first time, users have a real choice of which messenger to use. Alternative messengers get the chance to compete with the top dog WhatsApp.”
Threema rejects EU regulation
Threema, on the other hand, does not seem to be quite so enthusiastic about the plans of the EU Parliament. In a reply to the ZDF post on Twitter, the messenger service announced that although it considered the new EU regulation to be well-intentioned, it could lower data protection to the lowest level of the services involved.
Thus, Threema rejects the EU plans and expresses its opinion on WhatsApp and security through the flower.
Pirate MP Patrick Breyer refers to a transitional period and explains that messages between messengers must be transmitted in compliance with data protection, for example through end-to-end encryption. Parliament gives WhatsApp two years to implement the decision. For group chats, the period is extended by a further two years.
You can find out in another article which new features – such as hiding the online status – the messenger service WhatsApp is currently working on.
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