The European Commission has warned Meta it may face orders to reinstate third-party AI assistants on WhatsApp while regulators investigate whether the company is abusing its market dominance.
Meta drew fire last year when it updated WhatsApp's business terms to bar outside AI providers from operating on the messaging platform starting this January, while continuing to offer its own Meta AI service. The policy change prompted OpenAI and Microsoft to withdraw ChatGPT and Copilot from WhatsApp.
In response, Brussels launched a formal antitrust investigation in December and on Monday issued a statement of objections accusing Meta of violating EU competition law. The Commission is now considering interim measures—rare emergency actions designed to prevent "significant and irreversible damage" to competitors before the full investigation concludes.
"AI markets are developing at rapid pace, so we also need to be swift in our action. 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." said Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition of the European Commission in a written statement.
If imposed, the measures would force Meta to temporarily reverse its ban on rival AI assistants pending the company's defense. Meta has already carved out an exception for Italian users after Italy's competition authority ordered a similar suspension in January.
EU officials argue Meta's policy unfairly advantages its own AI offering while shutting innovative competitors out of rapidly growing markets. Meta maintains the restrictions are necessary to protect WhatsApp's infrastructure from the technical strain caused by unsupported chatbot integrations.
No final decision on the emergency measures has been announced.
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