WhatsApp Set for Stricter EU Oversight under New Digital Services โคAct Rules
Brussels – โคWhatsApp is โpoised to become subject to heightened European โUnion regulation following a decision to designate its “Channels” feature as a Very Large online Platform (VLOP) under the Digital services Act (DSA),โค Bloomberg reports. The move, which hasn’t been publicly announcedโข by the European Commission but has been communicated to Meta, will bring WhatsApp into alignmentโ wiht platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, Google, and ByteDance.
The VLOP designation triggers a series of obligationsโ for WhatsApp, including annual autonomousโข audits, transparent advertising practices, and increased obligation for content moderation. This comesโ as WhatsApp’s Channels feature has surpassed the threshold for VLOP status,โ averaging 46.8 million EU โusersโ in the second half of 2024 – exceeding the DSA’s 45 million monthly user requirement.
the DSA,enacted to create a safer digital โspace for European citizens,grants โคthe EU greater regulatory power over VLOPs. While the new rules will apply specifically to WhatsApp’s โคChannels – a broadcast tool for โคone-way communication – the company has โassured users that private, individualโฃ messaging will remain โคunaffected.
The European Commission initially designated several large online platforms as VLOPs in 2023, recognizing their notable โreach and potential impact. WhatsApp’s addition toโ this โlist underscores the EU’s commitment to holding โmajor tech companies accountable for the content sharedโฃ on their โservices and protecting โคusers from harmful online โฃactivity.