The European Commission has designated WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms, as a very large online platform under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), requiring it to address illegal and harmful content more actively.

The move follows the platform’s reported 51.7 million average monthly active users in the EU during the first half of 2025, surpassing the 45 million-user threshold set by the DSA.

Meta has four months, until mid-May 2026, to ensure WhatsApp’s compliance with the new obligations for very large online platforms, which include measures to improve content moderation and safety.

Other platforms classified as very large under the DSA include Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Temu, and LinkedIn.

The designation aims to strengthen oversight and accountability for platforms with significant user bases within the EU.

🔗 Source: Reuters

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