WhatsApp and Co. under the microscope: Are the messenger limits falling?
The messenger market is highly competitive, not least since WhatsApp’s image has been scratched. The cartel guards are also taking a correspondingly close look. According to an interim report, it is also about breaking the boundaries between Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram and Co.
Whatsapp. Skype and Co .: Bundeskartellamt examines overarching messages and calls
The Federal Cartel Office is currently taking a closer look at the market for messenger and video services in Germany. According to an interim report published on Thursday, this is not just about the market power of individual providers. One wants to evaluate, among other things, whether the The boundaries between the various services are falling should, i.e. messages should also be sent from WhatsApp to Signal and vice versa.
One is currently investigating the question of what specific effects uncomplicated communication across different providers would have, according to Andreas Mundt, President of the Federal Cartel Office (source: dpa via Marbacher Zeitung). The keyword is “Interoperability”, which has so far only been a pipe dream for current messengers. In the case of e-mails, on the other hand, nobody would think that a message could only ever be sent “within the provider”.
“At the same time, many consumers have Concerns about the security and protection of your personal information “, explains the President. Even if it is not the sole focus, the investigation also deals with possible violations of consumer rights. The boom in video apps during the pandemic would put structures at a disadvantage for consumers meet a particularly large number of people.
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Actually old plans are even more important today
The subjects of the investigations are, for example, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, FaceTime and iMessage, Google Meet, TeamViewer, Threema, Skype and Microsoft Teams, Slack, WebEx and Zoom. Open source programs are also checked. Only means that could mean Merge data – this is exactly why Facebook and WhatsApp were sharply criticized.
Corresponding plans, especially for interoperability, have been discussed in German politics for some time. With the ongoing investigation by the Federal Cartel Office, they are currently becoming more specific again. Nothing has been decided yet, the cartel watchdogs are planning to present their results in the coming year. Then it should too Recommendations for action give, for example, whether a law should prescribe interoperability.
