Google, Meta, Twitter and Apple are facing tougher EU rules on online content based on monthly figures published by the companies on the number of users exceeding the EU threshold for major online platforms.

The new rules, known as the Digital Services Act (DSA), define companies with more than 45 million users as very large online platforms and are subject to obligations such as risk management and external and independent auditing. They are also required to share data with authorities and researchers and adopt a code of conduct.

The European Commission has given online platforms and search engines until 17 February to publish their monthly active users. Many major online platforms have four months to comply with the rules or risk being fined.

Twitter reported that it has 100.9 million average monthly users in the EU based on an estimate of the last 45 days.

Alphabet said the average monthly number of logged-in users amounted to 278.6 million on Google Maps, 274.6 million on Google Play, 332 million on Google Search, 74.9 million on Shopping and 401.7 million on YouTube.

Apple noted that its App Store, built for the iPhone alone, with more than 45 million monthly users, could be described as a very large online platform. But it will apply the same rules to the App Store for iPad, Mac computers, Apple Watch and TVs.

Earlier this week, Meta Platforms said it had 255 million average monthly active users on Facebook in the EU and about 250 million average monthly active users on Instagram in the last six months of 2022.