EU Slaps ’Very Large Online Platform’ Label on WhatsApp Channels Under Digital Services Act
Brussels just dropped a regulatory hammer—and it landed squarely on WhatsApp's new Channels feature. The EU's Digital Services Act now classifies the broadcast tool as a 'Very Large Online Platform,' triggering a cascade of compliance demands that could reshape how billions receive information.
The Compliance Avalanche Begins
Forget minor tweaks. This designation forces Meta's messaging giant into the DSA's most stringent tier. Think mandatory risk assessments, independent auditing, and transparent recommendation algorithms—all under the watchful eye of European regulators. One misstep could mean fines reaching 6% of global annual turnover.
Why Channels Triggered the Alarm
Unlike private chats, Channels operate as one-to-many broadcast systems. That architecture—coupled with WhatsApp's sheer user scale—created what regulators see as a systemic risk vector for disinformation and illegal content. The EU isn't just regulating a feature; it's attempting to firewall public discourse on private infrastructure.
The Meta Compliance Tango
Watch for Meta's next move. The tech giant must now deploy content moderators, establish user flagging systems, and publish detailed transparency reports—all while maintaining WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption promise. It's a regulatory tightrope walk that could drain resources better spent chasing the next crypto-powered messaging trend.
Broader Implications for Digital Giants
This isn't just about WhatsApp. The ruling sets a precedent: any large-scale broadcast feature on encrypted platforms now faces VLOP scrutiny. Signal, Telegram, and emerging Web3 communication tools are undoubtedly recalculating their European roadmaps tonight.
The finance world's reaction? Predictably muted—most bankers are too busy lobbying against decentralized stablecoin regulations to notice when actual systemic risks get addressed. Meanwhile, the EU just demonstrated that when it comes to platform power, they're not asking permission—they're writing the rules.
EU adds WhatsApp after sexual deepfake scandal on X
The announcement came just hours after EU regulators launched a case against Elon Musk’s X. They’re investigating the spread of sexually explicit deepfake images created by Grok, the AI bot running on X.
That platform, which was fined €120 million in December, is already under the DSA. The WHITE House said the law is being used to punish U.S. companies unfairly.
The U.S. government is not happy. Last year, after the EU fine on X, the TRUMP administration blocked travel access for Thierry Breton, one of the officials who helped build the law. That came after Washington accused the EU of turning internet rules into a censorship tool.
WhatsApp became a DSA target because of its numbers. Meta had already reported that the platform averaged about 46.8 million monthly users on its channels during the second half of 2024. That crossed the threshold needed for the Commission to step in.
These rules are not suggestions. Once labeled, platforms like WhatsApp must publish user stats every six months and assess how their channels are used to spread illegal or harmful content. If they break the law, they could be fined up to 6% of their annual global sales. For a company like Meta, that’s a huge financial hit.
Bloomberg first reported Meta had been told this was coming. But now it’s official, and WhatsApp is the latest to join Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X in the EU’s strict list.
EU lawmakers demand new digital agency to keep control
Alexandra Geese, a member of the European Parliament from Germany, said none of this is about pressure from the United States. “The enforcement is not happening because there’s too much pressure from the Trump administration,” Geese said. She worked directly on the DSA and warned early on that the EU needed an independent agency to enforce these laws.
“This is an ‘I told you so’ moment,” Geese added. And she wasn’t the only one. Last year, Portugal pushed for the EU to create a single digital enforcement agency.
Gonçalo Matias, Portugal’s minister for state reform, invited 13 countries to a summit in October to talk about it. He said countries need to “coordinate responsibilities currently spread across multiple authorities.”
In the final statement from that meeting, the 13 countries said a single regulator “can consolidate responsibilities, ensure coherent enforcement of EU digital legislation and foster an innovation-friendly regulatory culture.”
But not everyone supported the idea. Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland opposed it. These countries don’t like giving Brussels more power.
Mario Mariniello from Bruegel, a think tank, argued that this kind of enforcement shouldn’t stay inside the European Commission. “There, the level of politicization is so high that you WOULD have a significant benefit,” he wrote last September. He said a separate agency would stop political interference, especially when outside countries like the U.S. get involved.
He pointed to the EU’s delay in fining Google as an example. Trade talks with Washington were tense, and the EU’s trade chief held back the fine. The fine came later, but the delay showed the Commission was vulnerable to pressure.
Geese said this shows why the Commission can’t keep doing everything itself. “It’s so political, there’s no real enforcement, there’s no independent enforcement, independent from politics,” she said.
But she also admitted that trying to build a new agency now might be a bad idea. “You’re gonna debate this for two or three years, with the Council, and Hungary and Slovakia are going to say: No way. And in the meantime, nothing happens, because that becomes the excuse: The agency is going to do it,” she said.
Geese said time matters. Europe is under pressure to respond to the Grok case, where an AI bot published sexual deepfakes online. She said it’s “one of the most egregious episodes of a large language model perpetuating gender based violence.”
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