The European Commission will designate WhatsApp’s open channels as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) under the Digital Services Act (DSA), placing it under increased EU regulatory scrutiny, Bloomberg reports. The Commission has reportedly informed Meta of this decision but has not made a public announcement.
This designation will grant the EU greater regulatory authority over WhatsApp concerning content moderation and data sharing. WhatsApp will be required to conduct an annual independent audit and maintain transparent advertising practices, among other mandates.
The new designation aligns with WhatsApp’s reported user statistics. In February, WhatsApp disclosed an average of 46.8 million EU users during the second half of 2024. The DSA mandates VLOP classification for platforms exceeding 45 million monthly EU users.
This VLOP designation specifically applies to WhatsApp’s open channels feature. Individual messaging will remain unaffected and private between users. WhatsApp joins Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram, along with other companies like Amazon, Google, and ByteDance, in receiving the VLOP designation.
