The European Union has officially designated WhatsApp as a Very Large Online Platform VLOP under its Digital Services Act DSA, triggering stricter regulatory obligations for the messaging service.
The European Commission announced the classification on its website, citing WhatsApp's growing user base in the bloc. The platform now records more than 51 million monthly active users in the EU, exceeding the DSA threshold for enhanced oversight.
Under the designation, Meta, WhatsApp's parent company, has four months-until mid-May 2026-to ensure the platform complies with additional requirements imposed on VLOPs.
