WhatsApp has officially been classified as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA). This means the messaging app must follow stricter regulations to protect user data and prevent harmful content.
The EU designates any platform with over 45 million users as a VLOP. According to European Commissioner Thomas Regnier, WhatsApp crossed this threshold last year, with an average of 46.8 million monthly active users of its WhatsApp Channels feature in the last six months of 2024.
As a VLOP, WhatsApp must now offer users more control over their data, including options to opt out of recommendation systems and profiling. The company is also required to provide better ways to report illegal content, services, or products and to prevent harmful posts from spreading. Additionally, the DSA imposes stricter rules on targeted advertising, especially for child-focused ads.
Meta’s Facebook and Instagram were already classified as VLOPs under the DSA, and now WhatsApp joins them in facing tighter EU regulations. In response, WhatsApp updated its privacy policy on February 16, adding details about how it processes data to comply with these new rules.
With this new designation, WhatsApp users in the EU will have stronger privacy protections and more control over their data, as the platform adapts to its new regulatory responsibilities.
