BRUSSELS, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Meta has been given four months to ensure its messaging service WhatsApp complies with additional obligations under the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA) following its designation as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP), the European Commission said on Monday.
The Commission formally designated WhatsApp as a VLOP after the platform's "Channels" feature reached the threshold of at least 45 million users in the European Union (EU).
Under the DSA, Meta now has until mid-May 2026 to bring WhatsApp into compliance with more stringent requirements, including the assessment and mitigation of systemic risks. These risks include the dissemination of illegal content, electoral manipulation, and violations of fundamental human rights and freedom of expression.
The Commission noted that WhatsApp is a "hybrid service" comprising features of both private messaging and an online platform. The "Channels" feature, which allows users to disseminate updates to a broad audience, falls under the definition of an online platform service and is therefore subject to general DSA obligations.
However, WhatsApp's private messaging service, which enables users to send text messages and make calls, remains explicitly excluded from the application of the DSA, according to the Commission. ■