The European Commission has ordered Meta to restore free access to WhatsApp for rival artificial intelligence (AI) assistants, including competitors such as OpenAI, while the European Union continues its antitrust investigation into the social media giant’s business practices.
The interim measures decision represents a major regulatory challenge for Meta and highlights growing concerns among European regulators about competition in the rapidly expanding AI market.
EU Targets Meta’s WhatsApp AI Restrictions
The European Commission concluded that Meta may have abused its dominant position by preventing competing AI assistants from accessing the WhatsApp Business Application Programming Interface (API), a critical channel used by businesses to connect services to WhatsApp.
According to the Commission, Meta introduced a policy on October 15, 2025, that effectively blocked third-party general-purpose AI assistants from using the WhatsApp Business API. The move left Meta AI as the only AI assistant directly accessible through WhatsApp.
Although Meta reopened access to third-party AI providers in March 2026, the Commission found that the fees imposed were so high that they effectively maintained the exclusion of competitors.
EU Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera said the pricing structure was not economically sustainable for rival AI developers and appeared designed to strengthen Meta AI’s position at the expense of competitors.
WhatsApp’s Market Power Under Scrutiny
The Commission said Meta has, at first sight, held a dominant position in the European Economic Area (EEA) market for consumer communication applications since at least January 2023.
WhatsApp’s vast user base gives Meta significant influence over how consumers access AI services. Regulators believe restricting access to competing AI assistants at a critical stage of market development could cause lasting damage to competition and innovation.
The investigation was triggered by complaints from California-based AI developer The Interaction Company, creator of the Poke.com AI assistant, French startup Agentik, and a Spanish competitor.
Meta Ordered to Reinstate Free Access
Under the Commission’s interim order, Meta must restore access for rival AI assistants to the WhatsApp Business API under the same terms and conditions that existed before October 2025, when access was provided free of charge.
Meta has been given five working days to comply with the order and must maintain free access until the Commission reaches a final decision or until June 2029 at the latest.
The Commission said the measure is necessary to prevent “serious and irreparable harm” to competition in the emerging market for general-purpose AI assistants.
Growing Importance of AI Competition
European regulators emphasized that AI markets are developing rapidly and are expected to become a primary way consumers interact with digital services in the coming years.
The Commission warned that Meta’s actions could reduce opportunities for smaller AI companies and new entrants to challenge larger technology firms, potentially limiting innovation and consumer choice.
The regulator noted that access to major communication platforms such as WhatsApp is increasingly important for AI providers seeking to reach consumers.
Meta Plans to Appeal
Meta criticized the Commission’s decision and announced plans to appeal.
A company spokesperson argued that the ruling forces Meta to provide access to a paid business product without compensation, benefiting some of the world’s largest AI companies.
Meta has previously argued that consumers can access AI services through multiple channels, including mobile app stores, operating systems, websites, devices, and industry partnerships.
Potential Financial Risks for Meta
The antitrust investigation remains ongoing, and the Commission has not yet reached a final conclusion on whether Meta violated EU competition rules.
However, the financial stakes are significant. If found guilty of breaching EU antitrust regulations, Meta could face fines of up to 10 percent of its global annual turnover.
The Commission also has the authority to impose daily penalty payments of up to 5 percent of average daily turnover if Meta fails to comply with the interim measures order.
The case marks only the second time the European Commission has imposed interim antitrust measures under Regulation 1/2003, underscoring the importance regulators place on preserving competition in the fast-growing AI sector.
The outcome of the investigation could shape how major technology platforms provide access to AI services across Europe and influence future competition policy in the global AI industry.
BABURAJAN KIZHAKEDATH
