WhatsApp Set for Stricter EU Oversight under New Digital Services Act Rules
Brussels – WhatsApp is poised to become subject to heightened European Union regulation following a decision to designate its “Channels” feature as a Very Large online Platform (VLOP) under the Digital services Act (DSA), Bloomberg reports. The move, which hasn’t been publicly announced by the European Commission but has been communicated to Meta, will bring WhatsApp into alignment wiht platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, Google, and ByteDance.
The VLOP designation triggers a series of obligations for WhatsApp, including annual autonomous audits, transparent advertising practices, and increased obligation for content moderation. This comes as WhatsApp’s Channels feature has surpassed the threshold for VLOP status, averaging 46.8 million EU users in the second half of 2024 – exceeding the DSA’s 45 million monthly user requirement.
the DSA,enacted to create a safer digital space for European citizens,grants the EU greater regulatory power over VLOPs. While the new rules will apply specifically to WhatsApp’s Channels – a broadcast tool for one-way communication – the company has assured users that private, individual messaging will remain unaffected.
The European Commission initially designated several large online platforms as VLOPs in 2023, recognizing their notable reach and potential impact. WhatsApp’s addition to this list underscores the EU’s commitment to holding major tech companies accountable for the content shared on their services and protecting users from harmful online activity.
