BRUSSELS (Reuters) - WhatsApp has hit a user criterion set out in landmark EU tech rules, the unit owned by Meta Platforms ( META ) said, meaning it is required to do more to tackle online illegal and harmful content.

Messaging platform WhatsApp in a February 14 filing said it had about 46.8 million average monthly active users in the 27-country European Union in the six month period to December 2024, above the 45-million-user threshold set out in the Digital Services Act (DSA).

"We can indeed confirm that WhatsApp has published user numbers above the threshold for designation as a Very Large Online Platform under the Digital Services Act," European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said in an email on Wednesday.

After receiving the designation, a platform has four months to comply with the DSA requirements including identifying and assessing system risks related to illegal content, fundamental rights, public security and protection of minors.

Fines for DSA violations can reach as much as 6% of a company's global annual revenue. Meta's Instagram and Facebook are already classified as very large online platforms.

Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg and its chief lobbyist Joel Kaplan have criticised EU tech rules and enlisted the support of U.S. President Donald Trump.