WhatsApp likely to face stricter European rules as user base nears 50m
Meta Platforms’ messaging service WhatsApp recently passed a major milestone in user numbers, potentially subjecting the service to stricter regulation under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), reports Bloomberg. According to a filing by Meta on 14 February WhatsApp’s open channels, which function similarly to social networks and are associated with news publishers or public figures, had an average of 46.8 million monthly users in the second half of 2024.
This development has caused the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, to take notice. The Commission, known for its increased scrutiny of social media platforms to limit the influence of prominent tech companies, has labelled WhatsApp a “very large online platform” under the DSA. This is because the number of users exceeds the threshold of 45 million active users within the EU.
The DSA imposes stricter requirements on these designated platforms, including comprehensive risk assessments regarding the potential distribution of illegal or harmful content and the implementation of risk mitigation strategies. Non-compliance can result in significant fines of up to 6% of a company’s annual global revenue.
In response to this development, Meta has yet to issue a statement. Remarkably, WhatsApp’s core messaging function is not counted in the number of users for the DSA’s platform classification. While WhatsApp’s classification as a “very large online platform” is preliminary, it means that the commission will likely investigate the platform further and possibly take regulatory action under the DSA.
At the same time, Telegram, another messaging service, published an update this week claiming that its monthly EU users on public channels are significantly lower than 45 million. Last year, following the arrest of CEO Pavel Durov in France on charges of alleged complicity in distributing child sexual abuse footage and other criminal activity, some Commission officials expressed concern about Telegram’s user figures.
Telegram has since provided a more detailed breakdown to support its user numbers, focusing specifically on its open channels, which was a key area of investigation for the commission.
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