You could soon send messages from Whatsapp to another messaging app, thanks to new EU legislation

Users could soon send messages from one app to another, thanks to an EU proposal which recommends inter-app compatibility.

Mandatory inter-operability would mean that a new messaging service could decide to let its users send messages to WhatsApp and vice versa.

The European Union is seeking to weaken the monopoly large corporations like Google and Facebook have on the use of digital platforms.

“The dominant position gained by some of these platforms gives them significant advantages over competitors, but also undue influence over democracy, fundamental rights, societies and the economy. They often determine future innovations or consumer choice and serve as so-called gatekeepers between businesses and internet users,” the European Parliament said.

The Digital Markets Act will also set out the criteria for identifying large online platforms as gatekeepers and will give the European Commission the power to carry out market investigations, allowing for updating the obligations for gatekeepers when necessary and sanctioning bad behaviour.

The Digital Services Act will give people more control over what they see online: users will be able to decide whether they want to allow targeted advertising or not and will have clear information over why specific content is recommended to them.

The text will be voted on today by the European Parliament and negotiations will then continue with the other EU institutions.