The European Commission has ordered Meta to allow AI chatbots operated by competing companies to access WhatsApp without charge. The interim measure will remain in place while the EU completes an antitrust investigation into Meta's decision to block third-party AI providers, other than its own Meta AI, from the messaging platform.
The Commission stated that the intervention was necessary to prevent "serious and irreparable harm to competition in this growing market" caused by Meta's conduct, which it said appeared to violate EU competition rules.
Meta reacted strongly to the decision. The company accused the Commission of "regulatory overreach" and announced it would appeal the order.
The investigation began in December 2025 after Meta banned third-party general-purpose AI assistants from the WhatsApp for Business API. The EU said this action seemed to constitute an abuse of Meta's dominant position in European markets.
Interim measures and deadlines
As a temporary measure while the investigation continues, the Commission has given Meta five working days to reinstate access for third-party general-purpose AI assistants to the WhatsApp for Business API. The reinstatement must be under the same terms and conditions that existed before the ban.
"In rapidly evolving markets, competition can be lost long before a final decision is adopted," said Teresa Ribera, the Commission's executive vice-president for clean, just and competitive transition.
"This is why these interim measures will remain in place for the duration of the investigation," she added.
Ribera said the decision "preserved choice for citizens across Europe on the AI assistants they want to use with WhatsApp, without that decision being made for them."
If Meta fails to comply with the interim decision, the Commission warned it could impose fines of up to 10% of the company's total turnover.
Meta's response and appeal
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Meta argued that the decision effectively forces the company to grant free access to valuable AI companies that would otherwise have to pay for the service.
"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," Meta said in a statement.
"This is regulatory overreach subsidised by the many European companies that pay. We will appeal."
The dispute is the latest in a long-running series of tensions between European regulators and major US technology firms.
Broader context of EU-US tech tensions
Last year, Meta warned that European users could face a "worse experience" due to EU regulations. That warning followed a fine imposed on Meta the previous week, one of many penalties handed out by the EU.
The EU has consistently argued that its actions are intended to protect consumers and maintain fair competition against tech companies that exploit their market dominance.
The conflict has also taken on a political dimension. The Trump administration has claimed that the EU and other jurisdictions are unfairly targeting American technology companies.
What happens next
The Commission will continue its investigation into whether Meta's ban on rival AI assistants violated antitrust rules. In the meantime, Meta must open up WhatsApp to competing AI chatbots or risk significant financial penalties. The company's appeal will likely test the boundaries of the EU's authority to impose interim measures in fast-moving technology markets.
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