WhatsApp’s free pass may be ending as Brussels considers tougher oversight

EU considers making WhatsApp more responsible for tackling harmful content, spokesperson says

The European Commission is considering recategorizing Meta's WhatsApp messaging service to make it more responsible for tackling illegal and harmful content, a spokesperson for the commission said on Friday.

The spokesperson said the commission is actively considering designating WhatsApp a "very large platform", which would increase its legal responsibilities to address damaging content, after it published user numbers above the Digital Services Act threshold in February 2025.

"I wouldn't exclude a future designation," spokesperson Thomas Regnier told reporters.

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