European Union officials have mandated that Meta Platforms must allow competing artificial intelligence chatbot companies to use WhatsApp while regulators complete their antitrust probe.
The European Commission, which serves as the primary competition authority for the 27-member union, announced Tuesday it was implementing measures to safeguard competition in the rapidly expanding AI assistant sector.
Officials said they were establishing “interim measures” as they continue examining WhatsApp’s artificial intelligence policies amid concerns the social media giant is violating EU regulations by preventing competitors from providing their AI services through the messaging platform.
Meta announced plans to challenge the decision.
“The European Commission has decided that OpenAI and some of the largest companies in the world can use the paid-for WhatsApp Business product for free,” the company said in a statement. “This is regulatory overreach subsidized by the many European companies that pay.”
Brussels has sometimes implemented temporary directives after receiving criticism that lengthy antitrust examinations of major technology corporations moved too slowly to limit their market dominance.
“AI markets are developing exceptionally fast, and AI assistants are expected to become an important way for consumers all across Europe to access and use AI,” the commission’s executive vice-president overseeing competition, Teresa Ribera, told reporters in Brussels.
“Therefore, when the damage can happen quickly and there is a risk of companies being forced to leave the market, we need to use our tools.”
EU officials began examining revised terms and conditions for Meta’s commercial clients who use AI assistants to interact with customers through WhatsApp last year.
Regulators worried that the updated agreement blocked third-party AI firms from providing their services on the messaging service, allowing only Meta’s chatbot offering to remain available for users.
Meta tried to address the investigation by implementing charges for competitor access, but regulators remained unsatisfied and warned in April they would compel the company to restore free access.
Ribera stated Meta’s pricing was so expensive it was “not economically sustainable for competitors,” though she did not elaborate on specific amounts. The commission’s directive will stay active until June 2029 or when the investigation concludes, with no set timeline for completion.
Meta could face penalties reaching 10% of yearly revenue if it fails to follow the order.
