On Monday, the European Commission warned Meta that it could force the tech giant to enable competitor AI chatbots back on WhatsApp during an antitrust inquiry.
Meta received a “statement of objections” from EU regulators, alleging that it violated competition laws by barring third-party AI assistants from its messaging platform. Meta’s December 2025 prohibition on general-purpose AI chatbots from WhatsApp’s business products prompted the investigation.
Regulators Stop “Irreparable Harm”
Given the rapid development of the AI business, Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera said the EU must act quickly. “AI markets are developing quickly, so we must act quickly,” Ribera remarked. “That is why we are considering quickly imposing interim measures on Meta, to preserve access for competitors to WhatsApp, while the investigation is ongoing, and avoid Meta’s new policy irreparably harming competition in Europe.”
A Commission spokeswoman said the temporary measures will require Meta to restore third-party AI assistant access to pre-October 2025 levels. EU authorities seldom take emergency action, but waiting for a complete probe might permanently damage the AI assistant market.
The dispute-related policy took effect on January 15, prompting OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot to leave the platform. WhatsApp allows only Meta AI as a general-purpose assistant.
Meta Protests
Meta contested the Commission’s estimate. “There is no justification for EU intervention regarding the WhatsApp Business API,” a company representative stated, noting that app stores, operating systems, websites, and industry alliances offer AI assistants.
The spokeswoman said the Commission “wrongly assumed that WhatsApp’s business programming interface is a key distribution channel for chatbots.”
The probe was prompted by allegations from smaller AI companies like Spanish firm Luzia and California-based The Interaction Company, which created Poke.com. The Interaction Company CEO Marvin von Hagen claimed that Meta’s strategy will deprive “millions of European consumers” of revolutionary AI assistants.
Multiple-Jurisdictional Parallel Investigations
The EU investigation encompasses all member states except Italy, where the antitrust tribunal ordered Meta to keep WhatsApp available to competing chatbots in December. Brazil’s CADE competition regulator also investigated Meta, but judges suspended interim remedies.
Meta might be fined 10% of its global revenue for EU antitrust violations. The corporation can now reply to the Commission’s complaints before regulators decide on temporary remedies.