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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.

Meta Strikes Long-Term Nuclear Power Deals With Vistra, Oklo and TerraPower

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Meta Platforms said on Friday it has signed 20-year agreements to secure nuclear power from three U.S. plants operated by Vistra and to support the development of small modular reactor (SMR) projects with Oklo and TerraPower.

The move underscores how large technology companies are seeking long-term electricity supplies as artificial intelligence workloads and data centres push U.S. power demand higher for the first time in two decades. Following the announcement, Oklo shares surged nearly 20%, while Vistra rose about 8% in premarket trading.

Meta said it will buy power from Vistra’s Perry and Davis-Besse nuclear plants in Ohio, as well as the Beaver Valley plant in Pennsylvania. The company said the agreements will help finance expansion at the Ohio facilities and extend the operational life of the plants, which are licensed to run through at least 2036. One of Beaver Valley’s two reactors is licensed through 2047.

In addition to power purchases from existing plants, Meta said it will help develop new nuclear capacity through partnerships focused on small modular reactors. SMRs are designed to be built largely in factories rather than on-site, which supporters say could eventually reduce costs, though critics argue they may struggle to achieve the economies of scale of traditional large reactors. There are currently no SMRs operating commercially in the United States, and all projects still require regulatory approval.

Meta said the agreements could provide up to 6.6 gigawatts of nuclear power by 2035. A typical nuclear power plant produces about 1 gigawatt. In 2024, Meta sought proposals from nuclear developers for between 1 and 4 gigawatts of capacity.

Under the deal with TerraPower — a company backed by Bill Gates — Meta will help fund the development of two reactors expected to generate up to 690 megawatts as early as 2032. The agreement also gives Meta rights to energy from up to six additional TerraPower reactors by 2035. TerraPower President and CEO Chris Levesque said the partnership would support rapid deployment of new reactors.

Meta’s partnership with Oklo is aimed at developing up to 1.2 gigawatts of nuclear capacity in Ohio as early as 2030. Oklo co-founder and CEO Jacob DeWitte said Meta’s support would help fund early procurement and development work.

Meta Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan said the new agreements, together with a deal signed last year with Constellation Energy to keep an Illinois reactor running for 20 years, would make Meta “one of the most significant corporate purchasers of nuclear energy in American history.”

Report Claims Meta Earned $16 Billion in 2024 from Fraudulent Ads on Facebook and Instagram

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Meta Reportedly Made Billions from Fraudulent Ads Across Facebook and Instagram in 2024

A new report has alleged that Meta Platforms — the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp — earned a significant portion of its 2024 revenue from fraudulent and prohibited advertisements. According to internal projections, about 10.1 percent of Meta’s total revenue for the year reportedly came from ads linked to scams and banned goods. The findings suggest that certain internal practices and oversight failures allowed these fraudulent ads to remain active on its platforms, despite clear violations of company policy and advertising regulations.

Citing internal company documents, Reuters reported that Meta failed to effectively detect or block deceptive advertising for a range of illegal or misleading products and services. These included fake e-commerce listings, fraudulent investment schemes, unlicensed online casinos, and even banned medical products. The issue reportedly persisted for at least three years across Meta’s major apps — Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp — raising concerns about the company’s ad moderation and accountability practices.

The internal projections also claimed that around $16 billion (approximately ₹1.41 lakh crore) of Meta’s total 2024 revenue stemmed from these fraudulent ad sources. The report further alleged that Meta was hesitant to remove or suspend accounts, even those identified internally as “the scammiest scammers.” Executives reportedly feared that taking strict action against these advertisers would lead to a noticeable decline in ad revenue, which could in turn impact the company’s heavy investments in artificial intelligence (AI) development and infrastructure.

These revelations have sparked fresh debate about Meta’s commitment to user safety and transparency in digital advertising. Critics argue that prioritizing profits over consumer protection undermines trust in its platforms, especially as users increasingly encounter scams disguised as legitimate promotions. While Meta has yet to issue a detailed public response to these allegations, the report adds pressure on the company to tighten its ad screening processes and demonstrate stronger ethical oversight in its rapidly expanding AI-driven advertising ecosystem.