According to the EU, WhatsApp is a very large platform and faces new obligations

On Monday, the European Commission formally designated Meta's WhatsApp as a very large online platform (VLOP) under the EU's Digital Services Act. The decision means that the platform must comply with stricter rules to combat illegal and harmful content.

The Commission noted that the app had an average of 51.7 million monthly active users in the EU in the first half of 2025, exceeding the 45 million user threshold set by the act. Platforms exceeding this threshold are required to implement additional measures to protect the digital space and users.

Other platforms already classified as VLOPs include Facebook and Instagram (Meta), YouTube (Google), TikTok, Temu, and LinkedIn (Microsoft). WhatsApp now has four months—until mid-May 2026—to comply with all the new requirements.

The Digital Services Act aims to increase transparency, limit the spread of misinformation, and strengthen platforms' accountability to users.

(reuters, max)