EU orders Meta to reopen WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots
TL;DR:
- EU antitrust regulators have ordered Meta to give rival AI chatbots, such as OpenAI’s, free access to WhatsApp during an investigation.
- The Commission says Meta’s access fees were so high that competitors could not sustain them, favouring its own Meta AI assistant.
- Meta calls the order “regulatory overreach” and will appeal; it faces fines up to 10% of global turnover.
The European Commission has ordered Meta to restore rival AI assistants’ access to WhatsApp for free while it investigates whether the company abused its market power by shutting competitors out of the messaging app.
A precedent UK firms will track
The interim measure follows complaints from smaller AI developers, including the maker of the Poke.com assistant and French startup Agentik. Meta barred rivals from its WhatsApp for Business API in October while exempting Meta AI, then readmitted them in March for a fee. EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera said the fees were “not economically sustainable” for competitors, adding that AI markets are “developing exceptionally fast” and WhatsApp could become a key route for consumers to reach AI.
Meta must restore access on pre-October terms within five working days, with the order lasting until the investigation concludes or June 2029 at the latest. The company said the Commission had decided “OpenAI and some of the largest companies in the world can use the paid-for WhatsApp Business product for free”, calling it overreach and pledging to appeal. It risks a fine of up to 10% of global annual turnover.
Looking forward
Although EU-led, the ruling sets a template UK regulators will watch closely as the Competition and Markets Authority pursues its own digital-markets powers. The core question — whether dominant platforms can privilege their own AI assistants over rivals — will shape how UK businesses and consumers reach AI through the apps they already use.