WhatsApp

Report March 2026

Submitted
Commitment 25
In order to help users of private messaging services to identify possible disinformation disseminated through such services, Relevant Signatories that provide messaging applications commit to continue to build and implement features or initiatives that empower users to think critically about information they receive and help them to determine whether it is accurate, without any weakening of encryption and with due regard to the protection of privacy.
We signed up to the following measures of this commitment
Measure 25.1 Measure 25.2
In line with this commitment, did you deploy new implementation measures (e.g. changes to your terms of service, new tools, new policies, etc)?
No
If yes, list these implementation measures here
N/A
Do you plan to put further implementation measures in place in the next 6 months to substantially improve the maturity of the implementation of this commitment?
No
If yes, which further implementation measures do you plan to put in place in the next 6 months?
N/A
Measure 25.1
Relevant Signatories will design and implement, or work with third-party partners to design and implement, features to facilitate users' access to authoritative information without any weakening of encryption and with due regard for the protection of privacy, third-party partners could include civil entities such as governments, fact-checkers, and other civil society organisations where appropriate. This could include (as is appropriate for each service), for example, digital literacy campaigns and programs, or third-party features to facilitate fact-checkers' or governments' use of the relevant messaging service to provide timely and accurate information to users.
WhatsApp
QRE 25.1.1
Relevant Signatories will report on the tools, policies, partnerships, programs, and campaigns in place to meet this Measure and on their availability across Member States, including, where possible, relevant details on the civil entity and their results.
As mentioned in our baseline report, we work to empower users to think critically about information they receive and help them easily connect with accurate information. To this purpose, WhatsApp partners with: 
  • Organisations certified by the IFCN around the world, including in the EU, to expand users' access to fact-checking services. Because personal messages and calls on WhatsApp are secured with end-to-end encryption, only a user and the person they are communicating with can read or listen to them. That’s why our fact-checking partnerships on WhatsApp rely on user-initiated reporting. Users can flag potential misinformation to trusted fact-checking organisations by sending them a message, and fact-checking organisations can reply by sharing a fact-checking article.

  • Government agencies and nonprofit organisations to help make authoritative information available to users on WhatsApp.

SLI 25.1.1
When in compliance with local law, and subject to any necessary information being made available by third-parties, Relevant Signatories will to the extent possible report on use of select tools (e.g. number of claims submitted by users to fact-checkers or reach of fact checks produced from claims submitted on the platform).
Partnerships with fact-checkers: 13 fact-checking organisations in the EU operating in multiple languages are using WhatsApp products (the WhatsApp Business App and/or the WhatsApp Business Platform) to make sure that WhatsApp users have access to accurate information.

The WhatsApp Business app is an optional app and partners may choose to use this tool or not. A reduction in the number of partners using the tool does not necessarily reflect a change in the number of fact-checking partners WhatsApp has in its WhatsApp fact-checking programme.

WhatsApp has a formal fact-checking programme which utilises the WhatsApp Business Platform and has not seen a reduction during this reporting period in the number of partners.

The WhatsApp Business app is an optional app and partners may choose to use this tool or not. 

Directory of fact-checking organisations using WhatsApp products (WhatsApp Business App and/or WhatsApp Business Platform) during the period of this report]:

  • France:
    • 20 Minutes (French)
    • AFP France (French)
    • AFP Africa (English)
    • France24 (French)
  • Germany
    • CORRECTIV (German)
    • AFP Faktencheck (German)
    • dpa Faktencheck (German)
  • Greece
    • Ellinika Hoaxes (Greek)
  • Italy
    • Pagella Politica / Facta (Italian)
  • Portugal
    • Polígrafo (Portuguese)
  • Spain
    • EFE Verifica (Spanish)
    • Maldita (Spanish)
    • Newtral (Spanish)