Meta’s WhatsApp faces tougher EU rules as monthly users top 45 million

Meta Platforms Inc.’s messaging service WhatsApp reached a crucial user milestone likely to bind it to more stringent rules under the European Union’s Digital Services Act.

WhatsApp’s open channels, which are feeds affiliated with news outlets or public figures that under the DSA are comparable to a social network, averaged about 46.8 million monthly average users in the second half of 2024, Meta said in a filing on Feb. 14 that hasn’t previously been reported.