WhatsApp, the popular messaging platform owned by Meta, could soon face stricter regulations in the European Union due to a significant rise in the number of users on its open channels. The platform announced on Friday that its open channels, used by news outlets, public figures, and more, reached an average of 46.8 million users across the EU in the second half of 2024. This surge in user activity now places WhatsApp’s open channels under scrutiny, with the platform potentially qualifying as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
The DSA defines a Very Large Online Platform as any entity that reaches over 45 million monthly users in the EU, a threshold WhatsApp now meets. If the European Commission designates WhatsApp as a VLOP, the company will face increased regulatory requirements, including greater oversight on content moderation, transparent advertising, data sharing with the EU, and compliance with independent audits. Additionally, WhatsApp will need to assess and mitigate the risks of harmful or illegal content on its platform, a crucial part of the EU’s efforts to ensure a safer digital environment for users.
Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, is already designated as a VLOP, a status that has not been met without controversy. The designation places Meta alongside other tech giants like ByteDance, Amazon, and Google, all of whom are subject to heightened EU regulations. However, the European Commission still needs to decide whether to grant WhatsApp the VLOP designation, a decision that could further impact the platform’s operations within the EU.
As the regulatory landscape around digital platforms tightens, WhatsApp and its parent company face growing pressure to balance user engagement with compliance to ensure they remain in good standing with European authorities.
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