WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms, has reached a major milestone in Europe: its "Channels" feature has surpassed 46.8 million monthly active users in the second half of 2024. This threshold officially categorizes WhatsApp Channels as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP), as defined by the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
What are the implications for the platform and its users?
The DSA aims to regulate large digital platforms operating in the EU by introducing stricter obligations once a service exceeds 45 million monthly users:
- Implementation of mechanisms for reporting illegal content
- Stronger content moderation
- Strict limitations on targeted advertising, especially for minors
- Algorithmic transparency
Greater user control over personal data
In response to this new regulation, WhatsApp officially updated its privacy policy on February 16, 2025, to align with DSA requirements.
🔎 Please note: only the Channels feature—comparable to a social media broadcast feed—is affected by this classification. WhatsApp’s private messaging services remain outside the VLOP scope.
What this reveals for businesses
This regulatory shift highlights a crucial point for all companies operating in the digital space: growing digital audiences inevitably come with increased regulatory scrutiny.
For WhatsApp, this could mean:
- Changes in product governance
- Stricter processes for data usage
- An opportunity to strengthen its legitimacy and public trust in Europe
Ultimately, this milestone confirms one thing: WhatsApp is no longer just a messaging app. It has become a large-scale media platform—one that is increasingly central to the digital strategies of modern brands.