WhatsApp beta hints at cross-platform compatibility

WABetaInfo

WhatsApp for Android beta update introduces a new screen called Third-party chats, according to WABetaInfo. The screen is not yet functional or accessible by users, but it suggests that Meta’s encrypted messaging app is preparing for cross-platform compatibility.

This version 2.23.19.8 beta update comes after the European Commission declared that Meta, WhatsApp’s owner, is a “gatekeeper” under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). The DMA requires gatekeepers to ensure the openness of their digital services and to interoperate with third-party messaging apps by March 2024. 

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Meta’s news ban in Canada doesn't affect Facebook usage, data shows

Dima Solomin/Unsplash

Meta’s decision to block news links in Canada has not affected Facebook usage, according to data from Similarweb and Data.ai. The company faces criticism from the Canadian government over the move, which is a response to a new law that requires platforms to pay publishers for news content. (Google plans to do the same once the law takes effect.)

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Threads to get search and web features in the next few weeks, says Zuckerberg

Meta’s Twitter clone, Threads, still shows a spinning galaxy as a placeholder when you check out its web version (Threads.net), but that won’t last long, according to a post on the platform from CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

He says that search and web features are coming soon and praises the team for their fast delivery. Meta launched Threads as a quick response to Twitter’s troubles, and it seems to have paid off. Threads reached 100 million signups faster than any other consumer software product ever. However, more than half of those users didn’t come back, and Meta is trying to add more features to keep them engaged.

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Meta’s Threads app loses over 50% of users in weeks

Meta’s new social media app Threads has lost more than half of its 100 million users in a matter of weeks, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The app, which competes with Elon Musk’s X, formerly Twitter, had a record-breaking launch but failed to retain its users.

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