Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 21, 2025
2 min readLast updated: February 27, 2026
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Waze is now a Very Large Online Platform under EU rules, requiring stricter compliance. Some adult sites may lose this status due to fewer users.
By Foo Yun Chee
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Alphabet's mapping app Waze needs to do more to tackle illegal online content on its platform after hitting a key user number under EU tech rules, while three adult content sites will likely face less stringent requirements after their user numbers fell below the threshold.
Under the Digital Services Act (DSA) which became law last year, online platforms with more than 45 million monthly average users in the 27-country bloc are classified as Very Large Online Platforms subject to tougher provisions.
"We are aware that Waze has published user numbers above the DSA threshold for designation as a Very Large Online Platform," European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said in an email.
Waze had 50.5 million average monthly users from July to December 2024, according to a Google filing dated February 14.
Adult content companies Pornhub, Stripchat and XVideos, which were labelled VLOPs in December 2023, reported a drop in users in the second half of last year.
"Regarding the three pornographic platforms you are referring to, I can confirm that an undesignation is possible under the DSA, if a Very Large Online Platform falls under the threshold. Nevertheless, the general DSA obligations would continue to apply," Regnier said.
Pornhub's website says it had 26.6 million average monthly users in the EU as of January 1, while Stripchat reported 26.6 million users as of August 1, 2024.
The Commission is expected to issue a decision on the VLOP designations in about two months after verifying the user numbers. DSA breaches can cost companies fines as much as 6% of their annual global revenue.
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Richard Chang)
The article discusses Waze's new status as a Very Large Online Platform under EU tech rules and the potential undesignation of some adult sites.
The Digital Services Act is an EU regulation that imposes stricter rules on online platforms with over 45 million users in the EU.
Adult sites like Pornhub may lose VLOP status due to a drop in user numbers below the EU's threshold.
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