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EU Considers Applying Tougher Content Rules to WhatsApp Under Digital Services Act

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The European Union is considering making WhatsApp more accountable for tackling illegal and harmful content after the messaging platform crossed a key user threshold under the bloc’s digital regulations, a European Commission spokesperson said on Friday.

WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms, reported about 51.7 million average monthly active users for its WhatsApp Channels service in the European Union during the first six months of 2025. This exceeds the 45 million user threshold set by the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), potentially bringing the service under stricter regulatory oversight.

The DSA imposes tougher obligations on so-called “very large online platforms,” requiring them to take stronger action against illegal and harmful content. Platforms already designated under this category include Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Temu and LinkedIn.

European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said the Commission’s focus is on distinguishing between private messaging, which falls outside the scope of the DSA, and public-facing features such as WhatsApp Channels, which function more like social media platforms.

“The objective for the Commission is to check what is actually private messaging, which doesn’t fall under the scope of the DSA, and what are open channels that act more as a social media platform, which do fall under the scope of the DSA,” Regnier told a daily press briefing. He added that the Commission is actively examining the issue and did not rule out formally designating WhatsApp Channels under the DSA.

WhatsApp was not immediately available for comment.
If designated as a very large online platform, WhatsApp could face fines of up to 6% of its global annual revenue for breaches of the DSA.

Big Tech to Avoid Strict Obligations in EU Digital Rules Overhaul, Sources Say

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Major U.S. technology companies including Alphabet, Meta Platforms, Netflix, Microsoft and Amazon are set to avoid strict new regulatory obligations under the European Union’s upcoming overhaul of digital rules, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter.

Despite strong lobbying from telecoms companies for tougher measures targeting Big Tech, the companies will instead fall under a voluntary framework as part of the planned Digital Networks Act (DNA), the sources said. The European Commission has declined to comment.

The DNA, which will be presented by EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen on January 20, is aimed at boosting Europe’s competitiveness and encouraging greater investment in telecoms infrastructure. The proposal will still need approval from EU member states and the European Parliament before it can become law.

Under the draft rules, Big Tech firms will be encouraged to cooperate voluntarily with telecoms operators in discussions moderated by BEREC, rather than being subject to binding obligations similar to those imposed on telecoms providers. One source described the approach as a “best practices regime” with no new mandatory requirements.

The planned overhaul will also address spectrum policy, with the Commission setting out guidance on licence duration, sale conditions and pricing methodologies to be used by national regulators during spectrum auctions, which often generate billions of euros for governments. While the goal is to harmonise spectrum allocation across the EU and reduce regulatory burdens for telecoms firms, some national regulators are expected to resist what they may see as increased centralisation of power.

In addition, the Commission plans to issue guidance on the rollout of fibre infrastructure, a key element of the EU’s digital strategy to narrow the gap with the United States and China. Governments may also be allowed to extend the 2030 deadline for replacing copper networks with fibre if they can demonstrate they are not ready to meet the target.

The EU’s digital policy push has drawn criticism from Washington in recent years, with U.S. officials arguing that new rules unfairly target American companies. Brussels has repeatedly rejected those claims.

EU considers tech transfer requirements for Chinese investments in Europe

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The European Union is weighing the introduction of technology transfer and know-how requirements for Chinese investments in Europe, according to EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen, who spoke after a ministerial meeting in Denmark on Tuesday.

The discussions, centered on economic security, come ahead of a European Commission paper expected by year’s end outlining the bloc’s strategy for managing foreign investments amid rising geopolitical tensions with China.

Rasmussen said Europe must learn from China and the United States, both of which impose strict conditions on foreign investors. “If we invite Chinese investments to Europe, it must come with the precondition that we also have some kind of technology transfer,” he said. “We find ourselves in new circumstances.”

European officials argue that China has long benefited from mandatory technology transfers imposed on European companies operating in the Chinese market, whether through joint-venture requirements or licensing regulations.

Sefcovic said that while the EU continues to welcome foreign investment, these should be “real investments” that contribute to the bloc’s job creation, technological development, and intellectual property growth. “European companies have been transferring know-how to China for decades,” he said. “It is time for reciprocity.”

On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian criticized the proposal, saying China opposes “forced technology transfer” and any “protectionist and discriminatory practices” disguised as competitiveness measures.

EU ministers broadly backed the initiative, with the Commission now tasked with translating the discussion into formal policy proposals by the end of the year.