EU Warns Meta Over WhatsApp AI Practices Amid Competition Fears
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Apr 15
EU Warns Meta Over WhatsApp AI Practices Amid Competition Fears
2 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Apr 15
The European Commission has threatened Meta with an interim ban over WhatsApp policies that allegedly block rival AI firms.
EU officials issued a supplementary statement of objections, warning of serious and irreparable market harm if Meta does not address their concerns.
Meta must respond or face restrictions, as the Commission seeks to maintain competition in the rapidly evolving AI sector.
With a $135B AI bet, can Meta afford to lose this fight or must it open WhatsApp to rivals?
Is the EU's fight with Meta about fair AI competition or a push for 'digital sovereignty' from US tech?
Will forcing WhatsApp open for other AIs compromise the platform's security and user data?
Did 50 million users losing ChatGPT access on WhatsApp trigger this rare EU legal action?
How will Meta's new custom chips give its AI an edge if forced to compete on its own app?
Regulatory Crackdown on Meta’s WhatsApp AI Policy: €200M Fine and Forced Access for Competitors
Overview
In October 2025, Meta changed WhatsApp's business terms to block third-party AI assistants, prompting the European Commission to launch an antitrust investigation in December 2025. Italy's competition authority swiftly ordered Meta to suspend these terms to protect competitors' access. By April 2026, the EU moved to impose interim measures and Meta responded by allowing rival AI chatbots on WhatsApp for 12 months, though with conditions that may disadvantage smaller players. Regulators warn that Meta's policy risks harming competition by leveraging its messaging dominance to favor its own AI. This case sets a key precedent under the Digital Markets Act and has sparked geopolitical tensions between the EU and the US, highlighting the global stakes in regulating tech giants.