TL;DR

The European Commission has opened an antitrust investigation into Meta over its integration of Meta AI into WhatsApp. Italy’s antitrust watchdog had already launched a parallel probe, examining whether Meta is using its market power to block rival AI chatbots from the platform.

New Front in EU Tech Regulation

Brussels has formally opened an investigation into “Meta’s new policy regarding AI providers’ access to WhatsApp,” the Commission confirmed. The probe follows Meta’s integration of its AI chatbot and virtual assistant into WhatsApp’s interface across European markets since March 2025.

The investigation is being conducted under traditional antitrust rules rather than the EU’s Digital Markets Act — the landmark legislation currently being used to scrutinise Amazon and Microsoft’s cloud services.

Blocking Rival AI Chatbots

Italy’s antitrust watchdog had opened a parallel investigation in July over allegations that Meta used its market power by integrating an AI tool into WhatsApp. That probe was expanded in November to examine whether Meta went further by actively blocking rival AI chatbots from the messaging platform.

A WhatsApp spokesperson called the claims “baseless,” arguing that the emergence of chatbots on its platform “puts a strain on our systems that they were not designed to support.” The spokesperson added that “the AI space is highly competitive and people have access to the services of their choice in any number of ways.”

What’s at Stake

The case reflects a broader pattern in EU tech regulation: as major platforms integrate their own AI features, questions arise about whether competitors get fair access. For businesses using WhatsApp as a communication channel, the outcome could determine whether they can choose which AI services to integrate — or are locked into Meta’s own tools.