WhatsApp has surpassed the threshold of 45 million active users in the EU, which places it under the incidence of the strict rules provided by the DSA for combating illegal and harmful online content.

WhatsApp, Meta's messaging app, will likely be subject to strict rules regarding online content after reaching an average of 51.7 million active users in the European Union in the first half of 2025, exceeding the 45 million threshold set by the Digital Services Act (DSA). According to the DSA, large platforms must implement measures to combat illegal and harmful content. The European Commission, through spokesperson Thomas Regnier, mentioned that it is being analyzed whether WhatsApp should be classified as a large platform, considering its private messaging features and open channels that function as a social media platform. DSA violations can attract fines of up to 6% of the companies' global annual revenues.