EU Orders Meta to Restore AI Rival Access on WhatsApp
The European Commission has ordered Meta to restore free access for third-party AI assistants on WhatsApp in Europe. This interim measure aims to prevent Meta from abusing its dominant position on the platform by favoring its own AI chatbot. The investigation into Meta's practices began in December 2025.
Key points
- Meta has been ordered by the European Commission to restore free access to rival AI assistants on WhatsApp in Europe.
- The order is an interim measure pending an antitrust investigation launched in December 2025.
- The Commission suspects Meta is abusing its dominant chat app position to favor its own Meta AI chatbot.
- Meta began blocking third-party AI assistants on WhatsApp in October 2025.
- The ruling requires Meta to allow competing AI providers access to its platform.
The European Commission (EC) has issued an interim order directing Meta to reinstate free access for third-party artificial intelligence (AI) assistants within its WhatsApp messaging service across Europe. This decision comes as part of an ongoing antitrust investigation launched in December 2025.
The investigation was prompted by Meta's decision in October 2025 to block external AI assistants from operating on WhatsApp. Regulators are concerned that this move unfairly favors Meta's own AI chatbot, potentially stifling competition and innovation. The EC views WhatsApp as a dominant platform in the messaging market and believes Meta may be leveraging this position to disadvantage rivals.
This interim measure mandates Meta to allow competing AI providers access to WhatsApp without charge, pending the conclusion of the full investigation. Such actions by the EC are not unprecedented, as similar scrutiny has been applied to other major tech firms regarding their platform practices.
Sources
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