EU Says WhatsApp Channels Must Obey Digital Services Act's Tougher Rules —Update
By Edith Hancock
The European Union will tighten its oversight of Meta Platforms' WhatsApp, saying that the messaging service's "channels" feature has enough European users to warrant stricter control under its content moderation rules.
The European Commission---the EU's executive arm--said WhatsApp is now considered a Very Large Online Platform under the Digital Services Act, adding that WhatsApp Channels crosses the EU executive's user thresholds for such a classification. The DSA obliges entities labeled as VLOPs to do more to protect users from illegal and harmful content.
The commission said that WhatsApp Channels--which allows people and organizations to broadcast updates to a large number of users--already had to comply with the DSA's more general obligations for online platforms. It also said the broader private messaging service for individuals won't come under the same scope as Channels.
A WhatsApp spokesperson said the Channels service continues to grow in Europe and globally. "As this expansion continues, we remain committed to evolving our safety and integrity measures in the region, ensuring they align with relevant regulatory expectations and our ongoing responsibility to users," they said.
The EU regulator said that Meta now has until mid-May to bring the service in line with the DSA's tougher obligations for large platforms like X or TikTok. Meta's Facebook and Instagram social networks are already labeled as VLOPs under the law.
Write to Edith Hancock at edith.hancock@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 26, 2026 10:28 ET (15:28 GMT)
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