The European Commission announced on Monday that it has officially classified WhatsApp, operated by Meta Platforms, as a very large online platform under the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA). The move follows EU user metrics indicating WhatsApp's channels averaged 51.7 million monthly active users in the first six months of 2025, exceeding the DSA threshold of 45 million users.
Under the DSA, platforms that cross that threshold are subject to a stricter set of responsibilities aimed at curbing illegal material and other harmful content across their services. The Commission said platforms designated as very large online platforms - commonly abbreviated as VLOPs - must take additional measures to address such content.
The Commission listed other services already labelled as VLOPs under the DSA, including Meta's Facebook and Instagram, Google's YouTube, TikTok, Temu and Microsoft's LinkedIn. These examples illustrate the range of social and content platforms that fall within the DSA's highest compliance tier.
Following the designation, the Commission set a four-month compliance window for Meta to bring WhatsApp into conformity with the extra obligations that apply to VLOPs. That timeline runs until mid-May 2026, by which point Meta must ensure WhatsApp meets the additional DSA requirements, the Commission said in its statement.
The designation reflects the DSA's user-based threshold mechanism: a platform that exceeds the 45 million average monthly active user bar within the EU is eligible for VLOP status and the attendant regulatory duties. In WhatsApp's case, the recorded average of 51.7 million monthly active users for the first half of 2025 placed it above that statutory threshold.
The Commission's announcement did not elaborate further in this statement on the specific compliance steps Meta must take for WhatsApp, nor did it provide detail on any follow-on supervisory measures. The formal designation, the user figures cited, and the four-month compliance deadline were the elements set out in the Commission's release.
Key facts
- WhatsApp recorded 51.7 million average monthly active users of its channels in the EU during the first half of 2025.
- The DSA sets a 45-million-user threshold for platforms to be designated as very large online platforms.
- Meta has four months - until mid-May 2026 - to ensure WhatsApp complies with additional DSA obligations for VLOPs.