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By Chinenye Anuforo
The European Union has officially classified WhatsApp as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) under its Digital Services Act (DSA), after the messaging app crossed more than 51 million monthly active users in the EU.
This move places WhatsApp in a special category reserved for tech platforms with massive influence and reach, meaning it will now face stricter rules on user safety, content moderation, and digital accountability. The European Commission confirmed the decision in a statement published on its website, noting that WhatsApp has exceeded the DSA’s user threshold for enhanced regulatory oversight.
Under the new status, Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, has four months to bring the platform into full compliance, with a final deadline of mid-May 2026.
According to the European Commission, platforms labeled as VLOPs must take stronger steps to reduce harmful content, stop the spread of disinformation, limit online manipulation, and better protect vulnerable users, especially minors.
As stated by the Commission:
“Following the designation, Meta, the provider of WhatsApp, has four months, i.e. by mid-May 2026, to ensure WhatsApp complies with the additional DSA obligations for VLOPs. These obligations include duly assessing and mitigating any systemic risks, such as violations of fundamental human rights and freedom of expression, electoral manipulation, the dissemination of illegal content and privacy concerns, stemming from its services,” they stated.
Supervision of WhatsApp’s compliance will be carried out jointly with Coimisiún na Meán, Ireland’s Digital Services Coordinator, reflecting the EU’s coordinated approach to regulating major tech firms.
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WhatsApp now joins a growing list of large online platforms already classified as VLOPs under the DSA. These include Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram, which were designated in April 2023, as well as YouTube, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Shein, Wikipedia, and several other popular websites.
The European Commission is also actively investigating Facebook and Instagram over potential failures to adequately protect minors on their platforms.
Meanwhile, social media platform X (formerly Twitter) is facing fresh regulatory pressure. The Commission recently launched a new formal investigation into the company’s compliance with DSA rules, expanding an earlier probe opened in December 2023. Regulators are examining whether X has properly managed risks linked to its recommender systems and the deployment of its AI chatbot, Grok.
According to EU officials, the investigation will assess potential risks tied to illegal content, including manipulated sexually explicit material and content that could amount to child sexual abuse.
The Digital Services Act is a landmark EU law designed to hold powerful online platforms accountable and create a safer digital space. It imposes stricter obligations on platforms with more than 45 million monthly active users in the EU — roughly 10% of the bloc’s population.
WhatsApp currently averages about 51.7 million monthly active users in the region, placing it firmly above the threshold.
If WhatsApp or any other VLOP fails to meet the DSA’s standards, penalties could be severe. Platforms found in breach risk fines of up to 6% of their global annual revenue, alongside additional enforcement actions.
For users, the decision signals tighter oversight of big tech — and potentially safer, more transparent online platforms in the years ahead.
