Cullen International's latest Global Trends benchmark for communications apps regulation shows how telecoms, consumer protection, data protection and competition regulators intervene in the number-independent communications apps sector. The benchmark addresses regulation apps such as WhatsApp, WeChat and iMessage across 13 jurisdictions around the world.
Key findings
- Brazil, China, the EU, India and the UK have intervened in this sector from different regulatory perspectives.
- Others (Japan, Singapore and Thailand) show little to no enforcement or inquiry activity specific to communications apps.
- The most frequent regulatory concerns about communications apps were raised by telecoms, consumer protection and data protection agencies. Interventions by competition authorities have so far been rare.
Why it matters
Uneven enforcement makes it hard for regulators and providers to know what “normal” oversight of communications apps looks like. The relatively limited role of competition authorities also raises the question of whether market-power concerns in this sector are being addressed elsewhere or not at all.
Background / context
Number-independent communications apps depend on telecoms networks for connectivity but are not generally the providers of the underlying network. They thus have been able to scale without incurring the costs associated with spectrum licences, mobile radio networks, or fixed last-mile infrastructure. This asymmetry has led to debates over regulatory parity between telecoms operators and digital communications platforms.
Scope
Region: Global
Countries covered: Australia, Brazil, China, the EU, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, the UK, and the US
Policy area: Telecoms, Online platforms
Last updated: October 2026
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Definitions, licensing and interoperability
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Law enforcement cooperation
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