EU Orders Meta to Restore WhatsApp Access Until 2029 as 10% Revenue Fine Looms
Updated
Updated · abcnews.com · Jun 9
EU Orders Meta to Restore WhatsApp Access Until 2029 as 10% Revenue Fine Looms
3 articles · Updated · abcnews.com · Jun 9
Summary
Brussels imposed interim measures requiring Meta to reopen WhatsApp to rival AI chatbot makers while the EU investigates whether its AI terms illegally shut out competitors.
Teresa Ribera said AI assistant markets are moving so fast that rivals could be forced out before a standard antitrust case ends, prompting the rare temporary order.
Meta said it will appeal, arguing the Commission is letting OpenAI and other large companies use the paid WhatsApp Business product for free at the expense of European customers.
The order follows an EU probe launched last year into Meta’s WhatsApp business terms; regulators rejected Meta’s proposed access fees as too high and can fine noncompliance up to 10% of annual revenue.
Will forcing Meta to provide free WhatsApp access create a fair AI market, or just subsidize its biggest competitors?
As Big Tech pulls AI features from Europe, will the EU's aggressive regulation of Meta ultimately stifle the continent's innovation?
Is the EU's emergency order against Meta the start of a global regulatory war against AI gatekeepers?
EU Orders Meta to Restore Free WhatsApp API Access for Rival AI Chatbots: Impact, Challenges, and the Future of Digital Competition (2026–2029)
Overview
In response to Meta's decision to restrict WhatsApp's AI access exclusively to its own AI, blocking rival chatbots from the Business API, the European Commission launched an investigation and issued an interim order on June 9, 2026. This order requires Meta to restore free access for competing AI chatbot developers, aiming to ensure fair competition and innovation in the European digital market. The measure will remain in effect during the investigation or until June 2029, providing immediate relief to competitors and safeguarding user choice, while signaling the EU's commitment to preventing abuse of market dominance in the fast-growing AI sector.