EU lists WhatsApp among platforms to face stricter content rules

WhatsApp is set to face greater EU scrutiny after the European Commission added the platform to its list of digital firms to face stricter content rules.

The Meta-owned service joined Facebook, TikTok, X, and others in a list of 26 “very large online platforms” after its “channels” feature passed 45 million monthly active users in the European Union.

The channels feature will face tougher obligations under the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA) because it is considered a broadcasting feature distinct from its core messaging service.

“These obligations include duly assessing and mitigating any systemic risks, such as violations of fundamental human rights and freedom of expression, electoral manipulation, the dissemination of illegal content and privacy concerns,” the commission said in a statement issued on Monday, January 26, 2026.

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WhatsApp will have until late May to comply with the content law, which has been labelled as “censorship” and discriminatory by United States President Donald Trump’s government, according to AFP.

The platform said in its latest DSA transparency report published last year that its channels had around 51.7 million monthly active users in the 27-nation EU.

WhatsApp is already in the EU’s crosshairs over its AI features, with an antitrust probe opened in December to determine if the way Meta is rolling out the tool breaches the bloc’s competition rules.

The Star