EU Orders Meta to Open WhatsApp to Competing AI Assistants
The interim directive will remain in effect until EU regulators complete their inquiry into the company’s practices, according to statements from the European Commission. Authorities have warned that Meta could face penalties of up to 10% of its global annual revenue if it is ultimately found to have abused its market position to disadvantage competitors.
The investigation was initiated in December 2025 after AI developers from several countries, including the United States, France, and Spain, complained that Meta had restricted access to the WhatsApp for Business application programming interface (API). The complaint centered on allegations that the company had limited competitors’ ability to integrate their AI services with WhatsApp while maintaining full access for its own Meta AI system.
WhatsApp, which reportedly has more than 3.3 billion users globally, is also deeply integrated with Meta’s broader ecosystem, including Facebook and Instagram.
Although Meta later introduced a paid model allowing external AI chatbots to connect to WhatsApp, EU regulators argued that the pricing structure was too high to allow meaningful competition and was therefore not viable for rival firms.
Under the Commission’s order, Meta is required within five working days to restore free access to the WhatsApp Business API for competing AI services, returning it to conditions similar to those in place before October 2025.
According to the EU’s antitrust leadership, the measure is intended to ensure that users retain freedom of choice regarding which AI assistants they use within WhatsApp, rather than having those options restricted by platform decisions.
Regulators also stated that the move is designed to maintain fair competition in the rapidly expanding AI assistant market by keeping WhatsApp as an open entry point for developers, enabling smaller firms to innovate, scale, and reach users across Europe.
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