The WhatsApp (Meta) app will be subject to stricter rules in the EU
Brussels – These new obligations will apply only to “WhatsApp channels,” a service similar to a content broadcasting platform, and not to the app’s instant messaging functions, which by far constitute its main activity, the European executive specified in a press release.
WhatsApp stated last year in a transparency report that its channels had surpassed 45 million monthly users within the EU, a threshold that led to its inclusion on the list of very large platforms.
The app is the third platform of the American group Meta to be assigned this status, which entails stricter rules and controls, after Facebook and Instagram.
Very large online platforms (VLOPs in English) have four months to comply with these rules, which stem from the Digital Services Act (DSA). In the event of serious and repeated violations, they risk heavy fines (up to 6% of their global annual turnover), or even a ban on operating in Europe. (26 January 2026)
