EU charges Meta with antitrust violations over blocking rival AI chatbots from WhatsApp

Brussels eyes crowbar for Meta's WhatsApp AI lockout

Euro watchdog says Zuckcorp blocked rival AI assistants in WhatsApp - weighs emergency action to force 'em back in Brussels has accused Meta of breaking EU competition rules by locking rival AI chatbots out of WhatsApp, opening the door to emergency action that could force the tech giant to let competitors back onto the platform. The European Commission has sent Meta a Statement of Objections, setting out its preliminary view that the company abused its market position by blocking third-party AI assistants - including OpenAI's ChatGPT and Microsoft's Copilot - from accessing and interacting with users on WhatsApp. The move escalates an investigation launched in December 2025 into whether Meta is using its messaging dominance to tilt the AI assistant market in its own favor. At the heart of the dispute are changes Meta announced in October 2025 to the WhatsApp Business policy. According to the Commission, those updates effectively banned general-purpose third-party AI assistants from operating on the platform. OpenAI quickly announced it would no longer be available on WhatsApp, where it had more than 50 million users. "We would have much preferred to continue serving you on WhatsApp," the company said, before blaming the policy changes for the move. Microsoft followed suit, yanking Copilot from WhatsApp the following month. "Copilot on WhatsApp has helped millions of people connect with their AI companion in a familiar, everyday setting," Redmond sobbed, noting that a transition was needed due to WhatsApp's policy change. The restrictions, which fully came into force on January 15, 2026, left Meta's own chatbot, Meta AI, as the only assistant allowed to plug directly into WhatsApp. Competition regulators said on Monday they preliminarily believe Meta holds a dominant position in consumer messaging across the European Economic Area, largely due to WhatsApp's enormous user base. In Brussels' view, the app is becoming a crucial gateway for AI assistants trying to reach consumers, meaning blocking rivals could choke off competition before it properly gets going. The Commission warned that Meta's policy risks causing "serious and irreparable harm" to the market for AI assistants. Officials fear the restrictions could raise barriers to entry, strengthen Meta's foothold in AI distribution, and squeeze out smaller players hoping to gain traction in the rapidly expanding sector. Because of those concerns, regulators said they are considering interim measures that could compel Meta to restore competitor access while the broader antitrust probe continues. Such emergency steps are rarely used and typically signal that regulators believe waiting for a final decision could permanently distort the market. Teresa Ribera, the Commission's executive vice president for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, cast the case as an early test of how competition law applies to AI ecosystems. "Artificial intelligence is bringing incredible innovations to consumers, and one of these is the emerging market of AI assistants," Ribera said. "We must protect effective competition in this vibrant field, which means we cannot allow dominant tech companies to illegally leverage their dominance to give themselves an unfair advantage." Meta pushed back on the Commission's position. In a statement to The Register, a spokesperson said there is "no reason" for EU intervention and argued AI assistants have multiple ways to reach users, including through mobile app stores, operating systems, devices, websites, and partnerships. The spokesperson also noted that a similar dispute was previously tested in Brazil, where courts dismissed arguments that WhatsApp represents a critical distribution channel for chatbot services. Meta now has the chance to respond to the Commission's objections and defend its policy. If Brussels ultimately rules against the company, it could face hefty fines and orders to change how WhatsApp integrates with third-party AI services. ®

EU threatens Meta with interim measure for blocking AI rivals from WhatsApp

BRUSSELS, Feb 9 (Reuters) - EU competition regulators on Monday charged Meta Platforms with breaching antitrust rules by blocking artificial intelligence rivals from its messaging service WhatsApp and threatened to impose interim measures against the U.S. tech giant. The move by the European Commission came after Meta implemented its policy on January 15 allowing only its AI assistant Meta AI on WhatsApp. The EU executive, which acts as the EU antitrust watchdog, said it had sent a statement of objections or charge sheet to Meta for violating the bloc's rules. "The Commission therefore intends to impose interim measures to prevent this policy change from causing serious and irreparable harm on the market, subject to Meta' s reply and rights of defence," it said in a statement. Its decision on interim measures will depend on Meta' s reply and rights of defence. Reporting by Foo Yun Chee Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

EU announces it plans to impose measures on Meta to reverse WhatsApp AI policy

The investigation is still ongoing, and interim measures are subject to Meta's reply and rights of defence. The European Commission has told Meta it intends to impose "interim measures" to stop the tech giant from excluding third-party AI assistants from WhatsApp. On Monday, the EU informed the company that its preliminary view was that it had "breached" EU antitrust rules. The investigation is still ongoing, and measures are subject to Meta's reply and rights of defense, the Commission said. The bloc's Commissioner for Competition, Teresa Ribera, said it would prevent "dominant tech companies to illegally leverage their dominance to give themselves an unfair advantage" to protect "effective competition." "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," she added. In October, Meta announced an update to its WhatsApp Business Solution Terms, "effectively" banning third-party general-purpose AI assistants from the application, the commission said. The policy came into effect in January. A commission spokesperson told CNBC that interim measures would involve it asking Meta to maintain third-party AI assistants' access to WhatsApp under the terms before the policy change, while its investigation. "The facts are that there is no reason for the EU to intervene in the WhatsApp Business API," a Meta spokesperson said. "There are many AI options and people can use them from app stores, operating systems, devices, websites, and industry partnerships. The Commission's logic incorrectly assumes the WhatsApp Business API is a key distribution channel for these chatbots," they added.

EU warns Meta over blocking rival AI chatbots on WhatsApp

The EU could take "interim measures" against WhatsApp as it investigates AI providers' access to the app. On Monday, the EU's regulatory arm announced its "preliminary view" that Meta, WhatsApp's parent company, violated antitrust laws by blocking third-party AI assistants from operating on WhatsApp. The European Commission's is concerned that Meta's actions will limit competitors from entering the AI assistant market. "We must protect effective competition in this vibrant field, which means we cannot allow dominant tech companies to illegally leverage their dominance to give themselves an unfair advantage," Teresa Ribera, executive vice-president for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition said in a statement. Ribera continued: "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." The issue arose in October when Meta announced updates to its WhatsApp Business Solution Terms. According to the European Commission, the January 15 update would "effectively" make Meta AI the only AI assistant available on WhatsApp. The regulatory agency opened an investigation into the matter on December 4. Today's update stands as a warning to Meta that the European Commission initially believes the company has violated antitrust regulation. A final decision is still to come. It also gave Meta a chance to respond to the allegations -- which it swiftly did. "The facts are that there is no reason for the EU to intervene in the WhatsApp Business API," a Meta spokesperson told Reuters. "There are many AI options and people can use them from app stores, operating ⁠systems, devices, websites, and industry partnerships."

EU tells Meta to let rivals run AI chatbots on WhatsApp

The EU has told Meta it has breached its rules by blocking other rival AI firms' chatbots from WhatsApp, and must make "urgent" changes. The tech giant changed the popular messaging app on 15 January - and since then only its AI assistant Meta AI can access it. But the European Commission said WhatsApp was an "important entry point" for AI chatbots like ChatGPT to reach people, and claimed Meta was abusing its dominant position by blocking them. A Meta spokesperson told the BBC the EU had "no reason" to intervene, and claimed it had "incorrectly" assumed WhatsApp Business was a key way that people use chatbots. "We must protect effective competition in this vibrant field, which means we cannot allow dominant tech companies to illegally leverage their dominance to give themselves an unfair advantage," said Teresa Ribera, the European Commission's competition chief. The EU will wait for Meta to formally respond to its findings, and depending on the response, it could impose "interim measures" to prevent Meta from causing "serious and irreparable harm on the market". Mathias Vermeulen, director at AWO, a law firm working on EU digital policies, said the preliminary findings showed firms operating in the EU could not use their control over one market "to unfairly advantage themselves in another". He said while Meta had not been found to break the law yet, if interim measures were imposed, Meta may be forced to reopen WhatsApp to third-party AI assistants. It follows a push by the EU to investigate big tech firms through its digital laws. It comes just three days after the Commission told TikTok it must change its "addictive design" or face heavy fines, after it found the video sharing platform had breached its online safety rules. It has also launched an inquiry in January into Elon Musk's X over concerns its AI tool Grok was used to create sexualised images of real people. Sign up for our Tech Decoded newsletter to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. Outside the UK? Sign up here.

EU threatens to act over Meta blocking rival AI chatbots from WhatsApp

Firm accused of 'abusing' its dominant position for messaging in what appears to be breach of antitrust rules The EU has threatened to take action against the social media company Meta, arguing it has blocked rival chatbots from using its WhatsApp messaging platform. The European Commission said on Monday that WhatsApp Business - which is designed to be used by businesses to interact with customers - appears to be in breach of EU antitrust rules. An upgrade to the messaging platform last October means the only AI assistant available to use on WhatsApp is Meta AI, the agent developed by the US tech group, which also owns Facebook and Instagram. The European Commission said Meta was the dominant player for messaging in the EU market and was "abusing" this position by "refusing access to WhatsApp to other businesses". That position may cause "serious and irreparable harm on the market", the commission added. It said it "considers that WhatsApp is an important entry point" for AI chatbots such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, to "reach consumers". The warning comes amid heightened tension between European authorities and Donald Trump's administration over the regulation of US tech companies. Brussels is reportedly preparing to intensify enforcement of its key anti-competition rules and the Trump administration has said this is "discriminatory" against US companies. "It is very obvious that we need to defend, to implement and to enforce our rules, to defend our market, a well-functioning market," the EU competition commissioner, Teresa Ribera, told Bloomberg. In December the US imposed sanctions on the former European Commissioner Thierry Breton as well as four other European "activists", accusing them of censorship and "suppress[ing] American viewpoints". The move was widely seen as an escalation in response to European regulation of US tech platforms. Breton is challenging the sanctions, and the commission has announced it will back him. Asked about a potential US response to the EU's measures against WhatsApp, Ribera said: "I don't know how it may be read by any government, but my sense is that this is not connected to politics, but connected to well-functioning markets." A Meta spokesperson said: "The facts are that there is no reason for the EU to intervene in the WhatsApp Business API. There are many AI options and people can use them from app stores, operating systems, devices, websites, and industry partnerships. "The commission's logic incorrectly assumes the WhatsApp Business API is a key distribution channel for these chatbots." Last month, Brazilian authorities brought a similar case against WhatsApp Business, saying that there were "potential anti-competitive practices" in the new terms, Reuters reported. That case was suspended, with Meta saying its claims were "fundamentally wrong," and that the "emergence of AI chatbots on the WhatsApp Business Platform overloads our systems, which were not designed for this type of support".

EU warns Meta it must open up WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots

Brussels (Belgium) (AFP) - The EU executive on Monday told Meta to give rival chatbots access to WhatsApp after an antitrust probe found the US giant to be in breach of the bloc's competition rules. The European Commission said a change in Meta's terms had "effectively" barred third-party artificial intelligence assistants from connecting to customers via the messaging platform since January. Competition chief Teresa Ribera said the EU was "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." The EU executive, which is in charge of competition policy, sent Meta a warning known as a "statement of objections", a formal step in antitrust probes. Meta now has a chance to reply and defend itself. Monday's step does not prejudge the outcome of the probe, the commission said. The tech giant rejected the commission's preliminary findings. "The facts are that there is no reason for the EU to intervene," a Meta spokesperson said. "There are many AI options and people can use them from app stores, operating systems, devices, websites, and industry partnerships. The commission's logic incorrectly assumes the WhatsApp Business API is a key distribution channel for these chatbots," the spokesperson said. Opened in December, the EU probe marks the latest attempt by the 27-nation bloc to rein in Big Tech, many of whom are based in the United States, in the face of strong pushback by the government of US President Donald Trump. Meta in the firing line The investigation covers the European Economic Area (EEA), made up of the bloc's 27 states, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway -- with the exception of Italy, which opened a separate investigation into Meta in July. The commission said that Meta is "likely to be dominant" in the EEA for consumer messaging apps, notably through WhatsApp, and accused Meta of "abusing this dominant position by refusing access" to competitors. "We cannot allow dominant tech companies to illegally leverage their dominance to give themselves an unfair advantage," Ribera said in a statement. There is no legal deadline for concluding an antitrust probe. Meta is already under investigation under different laws in the European Union. EU regulators are also investigating its platforms Facebook and Instagram over fears they are not doing enough to tackle the risk of social media addiction for children. The company also appealed a 200-million-euro fine imposed last year by the commission under the online competition law, the Digital Markets Act. That case focused on its policy asking users to choose between an ad-free subscription and a free, ad-supported service, and Brussels and Meta remain in discussions over finding an alternative that would address the EU's concerns.

EU regulators say Meta AI holds unfair monopoly on WhatsApp

European Union competition regulators charged Meta Platforms on Monday with antitrust violations for blocking rival AI assistants from WhatsApp through a policy effective January 15, 2026, and threatened interim measures to reverse it. The European Commission issued a statement of objections, a formal charge sheet under EU competition law, accusing Meta of breaching antitrust rules. This action targets Meta's policy that prohibits AI providers from using the WhatsApp Business API when artificial intelligence serves as the primary service offered. The policy took effect on January 15, 2026, following updated terms first announced in October 2025. These terms position Meta AI as the sole general-purpose AI assistant accessible to WhatsApp's approximately three billion users, while excluding competitors such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other general-purpose AI assistants. Regulators view this exclusion as a violation that limits access for rival technologies on the widely used messaging platform. The Commission has signaled its readiness to implement interim measures, a rarely invoked regulatory tool, to reverse the policy and restore competition during Meta's preparation of its defense. This step addresses concerns over potential serious and irreparable harm to the AI market. The investigation into the matter originated in December 2024, when EU executive vice-president for competition Teresa Ribera initiated the probe. At that time, Ribera stated, "AI markets are booming in Europe and beyond. We must ensure European citizens and businesses can benefit fully from this technological revolution and act to prevent dominant digital incumbents from abusing their power to crowd out innovative competitors." Parallel regulatory actions have emerged in other countries. In December 2024, Italy's antitrust authority directed Meta to suspend the policy within its territory. Meta responded by exempting Italian phone numbers from the ban, allowing continued access for those users despite the broader restrictions. This decision followed the Italian order and highlighted early international scrutiny of the policy. Brazil's competition authority launched its own investigation in November 2024. The probe stemmed from complaints filed by AI companies Luzia and Zapia. These firms accused Meta of pursuing an "embrace, extend, and extinguish" strategy, whereby developers are initially encouraged to build on WhatsApp, only to face expulsion later. This allegation centers on Meta's approach to third-party integrations on the platform. The Interaction Company, based in California and operator of the AI assistant Poke.com, submitted complaints to both Italian and EU regulators. Marvin von Hagen, the company's co-founder and CEO, remarked, "Meta should have suspended the policy worldwide, not just in Italy. The Commission must urgently follow Italy's lead and adopt interim measures." This call underscores demands for broader suspension pending resolution. Meta defends its position by asserting that the WhatsApp Business API was never intended as a distribution platform for third-party AI chatbots. A company spokesperson labeled the allegations "baseless" and pointed to the "unsustainable strain" imposed on WhatsApp's systems by rival chatbots. Should the EU find Meta in violation of antitrust rules, the company risks fines up to 10 percent of its global annual revenue. Meta has faced prior penalties in the region. Earlier in 2025, it received a €200 million fine for violations of the Digital Markets Act. Additionally, in November 2024, regulators imposed a €798 million fine for bundling Facebook Marketplace with its social media platform.

EU warns Meta it must open up WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots

Competition chief Teresa Ribera said the EU was "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." The EU executive, which is in charge of competition policy, sent Meta a warning known as a "statement of objections", a formal step in antitrust probes. The EU executive on Monday told Meta to give rival chatbots access to WhatsApp after an antitrust probe found the US giant to be in breach of the bloc's competition rules. The European Commission said a change in Meta's terms had "effectively" barred third-party artificial intelligence assistants from connecting to customers via the messaging platform since January. Competition chief Teresa Ribera said the EU was "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." The EU executive, which is in charge of competition policy, sent Meta a warning known as a "statement of objections", a formal step in antitrust probes. Meta now has a chance to reply and defend itself. Monday's step does not prejudge the outcome of the probe, the commission said. The tech giant rejected the commission's preliminary findings. "The facts are that there is no reason for the EU to intervene," a Meta spokesperson said. "There are many AI options and people can use them from app stores, operating systems, devices, websites, and industry partnerships. The commission's logic incorrectly assumes the WhatsApp Business API is a key distribution channel for these chatbots," the spokesperson said. Opened in December, the EU probe marks the latest attempt by the 27-nation bloc to rein in Big Tech, many of whom are based in the United States, in the face of strong pushback by the government of US President Donald Trump. Meta in the firing line The investigation covers the European Economic Area (EEA), made up of the bloc's 27 states, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway -- with the exception of Italy, which opened a separate investigation into Meta in July. The commission said that Meta is "likely to be dominant" in the EEA for consumer messaging apps, notably through WhatsApp, and accused Meta of "abusing this dominant position by refusing access" to competitors. "We cannot allow dominant tech companies to illegally leverage their dominance to give themselves an unfair advantage," Ribera said in a statement. There is no legal deadline for concluding an antitrust probe. Meta is already under investigation under different laws in the European Union. EU regulators are also investigating its platforms Facebook and Instagram over fears they are not doing enough to tackle the risk of social media addiction for children. The company also appealed a 200-million-euro fine imposed last year by the commission under the online competition law, the Digital Markets Act. That case focused on its policy asking users to choose between an ad-free subscription and a free, ad-supported service, and Brussels and Meta remain in discussions over finding an alternative that would address the EU's concerns.

EU plans interim measures after Meta blocks AI rivals in WhatsApp

The European Commission said it has sent a statement of objections to Meta Platforms (META), stating its preliminary view that the company breached EU antitrust rules by excluding third-party AI assistants from accessing and interacting with users on WhatsApp. On The Commission believes Meta's policy may raise barriers to entry, marginalize smaller competitors, and irreparably harm competition in the EEA's general-purpose AI assistant market. The Commission sees an urgent need to prevent serious, irreparable market harm while the investigation occurs by preserving third-party access to WhatsApp. The regulator preliminarily concludes Meta is dominant and may abuse its position by refusing third-party AI assistant access to WhatsApp, risking unfair market advantage.

EU warns Meta over blocking rival AI chatbots from WhatsApp | BreakingNews

Meta has been warned by EU regulators that it might have to take steps to open up access to WhatsApp for rival artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots. The European Commission, the EU's executive body, said Meta had effectively banned competitors from its messaging app and risked "irreparably harming competition in Europe". Meta responded to say there was "no reason" for the EU to intervene in its protocols. In a statement of objections, the Commission set out its preliminary view that the technology giant breached EU antitrust rules by excluding third-party AI assistants from accessing and interacting with users on WhatsApp. WhatsApp provides a chatbot through its own tool Meta AI, which uses generative AI technology to answer questions and have conversations with users, and create AI-generated images. The Commission said it thinks Meta is likely to be abusing its dominant position in the wider consumer communications market in Europe by refusing access to WhatsApp for other businesses, therefore blocking rival AI chatbots from reaching consumers. Teresa Ribera, an executive at the European Commission in charge of competition policy, said: "Artificial intelligence is bringing incredible innovations to consumers, and one of these is the emerging market of AI assistants. "We must protect effective competition in this vibrant field, which means we cannot allow dominant tech companies to illegally leverage their dominance to give themselves an unfair advantage. "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." Meta has the chance to reply to the Commission's concerns and the right to defend its policy. A spokesman for Meta said: "The facts are that there is no reason for the EU to intervene in the WhatsApp Business API (application programming interface). "There are many AI options and people can use them from app stores, operating systems, devices, websites, and industry partnerships. "The Commission's logic incorrectly assumes the WhatsApp Business API is a key distribution channel for these chatbots."

EU Warns Meta of Interim Measures in WhatsApp AI Probe -- Update

The European Union sent a statement of objections to Meta Platforms on Monday as part of its investigation into how the tech giant treats rival artificial-intelligence chatbots on its WhatsApp messaging service. The European Commission, the bloc's executive arm, said it intends to impose interim measures on Meta after it changed its policies to prevent competing chatbots from tapping into a tool for businesses to communicate with customers via WhatsApp. EU officials said they believe that Meta could be abusing its dominant position in messaging apps by refusing other businesses access to WhatsApp. The officials said they see WhatsApp as a key gateway for AI assistants to reach users. A Meta spokesperson said that the commission has wrongly assumed that WhatsApp's business programming interface is a key distribution channel for chatbots. "There are many AI options and people can use them from app stores, operating systems, devices, websites and industry partnerships," the spokesperson said. Meta in October said it would impose a new policy that effectively bans developers of rival chatbots like ChatGPT from using Whatsapp's business interface. The EU started investigating the policy in December, with competition commissioner Teresa Ribera saying at the time that officials were considering imposing interim measures--an effective injunction on business practices--on the company while its probe is active. The commission said there was an "urgent need" to apply protective measures. "Meta's conduct risks raising barriers to entry and expansion, and irreparably marginalizing smaller competitors on the market for general-purpose AI assistants," the regulators said in a statement. The EU executive's statement of objections covers the whole bloc except for Italy, where the country's antitrust regulators are carrying out their own WhatsApp AI investigation. Italy's competition regulator already ordered Meta to keep its WhatsApp messaging platform open to rival chatbots in December as part of that probe.

EU threatens Meta with interim measure for blocking AI rivals from WhatsApp

BRUSSELS, Feb 9 (Reuters) - EU competition regulators on Monday charged Meta Platforms with breaching antitrust rules by blocking artificial intelligence rivals from its messaging service WhatsApp and threatened to impose interim measures against the U.S. tech giant. The move by the European Commission came after Meta implemented its policy on January 15 allowing only its AI assistant Meta AI on WhatsApp. The EU executive, which acts as the EU antitrust watchdog, said it had sent a statement of objections or charge sheet to Meta for violating the bloc's rules. "The Commission therefore intends to impose interim measures to prevent this policy change from causing serious and irreparable harm on the market, subject to Meta' s reply and rights of defence," it said in a statement. Its decision on interim measures will depend on Meta' s reply and rights of defence.

Meta criticises EU antitrust move against WhatsApp block on AI rivals

BRUSSELS, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms on Monday criticised EU regulators after they charged the U.S. tech giant with breaching antitrust rules and threaten to halt its block on AI rivals on its messaging service WhatsApp. "The facts are that there is no reason for the EU to intervene in the WhatsApp Business API. There are many AI options and people can use them from app stores, operating systems, devices, websites, and industry partnerships," a Meta spokesperson said in an email. "The Commission's logic incorrectly assumes the WhatsApp Business API is a key distribution channel for these chatbots." (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee)