WhatsApp is the latest platform to enter the European Union’s regulatory spotlight. Meta’s popular messaging service is now preparing to comply with tougher transparency and content moderation rules.
EU officials have signalled that its public broadcast Channels meet the threshold of a “Very Large Online Platform” under the Digital Services Act.
This move aligns WhatsApp with the regulatory treatment already applied to Facebook and Instagram and signals the EU’s broader efforts to increase accountability among digital giants operating across the continent.
WhatsApp’s open channels join regulated platform ranks
The European Commission has initiated steps to designate WhatsApp’s new open Channels feature as a “Very Large Online Platform” (VLOP) under the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
This classification applies to services exceeding 45 million monthly active users within the EU, automatically placing them under enhanced scrutiny.
WhatsApp reported in February that its Channels averaged around 46.8 million users as of late 2024, which is enough to trigger the designation.
Unlike WhatsApp’s core encrypted messaging functions, Channels operate as one-way feeds, allowing public figures and organisations to broadcast content to followers.
The Commission’s concern centres on the similarity of these feeds to traditional social media platforms, prompting calls for robust risk assessment processes and stronger transparency.
Stricter moderation and user data transparency ahead
Once formally designated, WhatsApp’s Channels will be expected to comply with a range of obligations under the DSA.
These include detailed reporting of user figures every six months, implementing risk mitigation strategies against harmful and illegal content, and submitting to independent audits.
These rules do not apply to WhatsApp’s private messaging services, which remain exempt due to the DSA’s limited scope over direct communications.
Meta has already been notified by the European Commission of the impending designation, although there is currently no official date for a public announcement.
Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta, are already operating under the DSA’s VLOP classification.
The inclusion of WhatsApp’s Channels is a strategic shift, expanding the scope of regulation to more social-feed-like formats embedded within traditional messaging services.
EU’s regulatory push risks reigniting transatlantic tech tensions
The EU’s broader enforcement of the DSA has already stirred friction with American technology companies. Amazon is actively challenging its designation in EU courts.
Tensions also loom between the EU and the US, with former President Donald Trump having criticised European tech rules as disproportionately targeting American firms.
Trump has previously floated retaliatory tariffs in response to EU fines against US tech giants.
The new designation for WhatsApp’s Channels could add further strain.
If Meta fails to comply, the DSA allows for penalties of up to 6% of a company’s global annual turnover. For a company like Meta, this could run into billions of dollars.
Tech giants navigate expanding EU digital rulebook
The WhatsApp development highlights the expanding footprint of the DSA across the digital landscape.
While initially aimed at major social networks and online retailers, regulators are increasingly applying their scope to hybrid platforms offering public content distribution.
The DSA’s power to enforce fines and demand compliance disclosures is reshaping the operating environment for all large-scale digital services across Europe.
Apple, for instance, was recently compelled to release figures for its European App Store usage to meet transparency requirements under the act.
WhatsApp’s new obligations mark another step in the EU’s plan to bring all major online platforms under consistent oversight as it seeks to control the digital flow of information, curb disinformation, and tackle harmful content across the board.
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