EU Designates WhatsApp as Major Platform Under New Rules

A platform has four months after being designated to meet SA standards, which include detecting and evaluating system risks pertaining to unlawful material, fundamental rights, public security, and minor protection. 

According to the Meta Platforms-owned company, WhatsApp has failed to meet a user requirement outlined in historic EU tech regulations, which means it must take further action to combat dangerous and unlawful information on the internet.

Other services offered by Meta Facebook and Instagram are now under investigation by the Commission for potential DSA violations, and they are already on the list of VLOPs. 

In a filing on February 14, the messaging app WhatsApp reported that, in the six months leading up to December 2024, it had around 46.8 million average monthly active users in the 27-member European Union, surpassing the 45 million user barrier established under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

In an email on Wednesday, Thomas Regnier, a spokesman for the European Commission, stated, “We can indeed confirm that WhatsApp has published user numbers above the threshold for designation as a Very Large Online Platform under the Digital Services Act.”

A platform has four months after being designated to adhere to the DSA’s standards, which include detecting and evaluating system risks pertaining to unlawful material, fundamental rights, public safety, and minor protection.

DSA infractions can result in fines of up to 6% of a business’s yearly worldwide revenue. Facebook and Instagram are already categorized as very major internet platforms by Meta.

US President Donald Trump has backed Meta, whose CEO Mark Zuckerberg and main lobbyist Joel Kaplan have criticized EU IT regulations.

According to a representative for the Belgian Digital Services Coordinator, Telegram, a messaging app created by Pavel Durov, a Russian, does not yet have more than 45 million monthly users in the EU, Euronews said.

In order to determine the average monthly number of users, the Belgian Institute of Post and Telecommunications (BIPT) is awaiting the publication of a delegated act by the Commission. According to the representative, this may “possibly have an impact on the way figures are counted and published.”

The regulator went on to say, “BIPT believes it is unlikely that Telegram will surpass the 45 million threshold at this time.”

Since Telegram has its EU headquarters in Belgium, BIPT is responsible for its DSA compliance until it grows into a Very Large Online Platform.

According to the platform’s creator, the firm is expected to reach one billion users globally by 2024. According to the app, which has its headquarters in Dubai, there are presently over 900 million active monthly users worldwide.

With WhatsApp’s categorization, there are now 26 Very Large Online Platforms covered by DSA. Google, Amazon, LinkedIn, Temu, and Shein are also included.