Open WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots, EU orders Meta
The directive means Meta must reopen the WhatsApp for Business API to third-party general-purpose AI assistants under the same conditions that existed before access was blocked.
The European Union has ordered Meta to allow rival AI chatbot companies to access WhatsApp while regulators investigate whether the tech giant breached competition rules.
The directive means Meta must reopen the WhatsApp for Business API to third-party general-purpose AI assistants under the same conditions that existed before access was blocked.
The European Commission has given the company five working days to comply.
The order is temporary but will remain in place until the Commission completes its antitrust investigation.
The probe follows Meta’s decision in December 2025 to prevent AI providers other than Meta AI from using WhatsApp’s business platform.
EU regulators say the move may amount to an abuse of Meta’s dominant position in the European messaging market.
According to the Commission, urgent intervention is necessary because the AI assistant market is developing quickly and competitors could suffer serious harm before a final decision is reached.
The Commission said allowing Meta’s restriction to continue could reduce user choice and weaken competition in a sector that is still taking shape.
Teresa Ribera, the Commission’s executive vice-president for clean, just and competitive transition, said competition in fast-moving markets can disappear long before regulators issue a final ruling.
She said the interim measure is meant to ensure that Europeans remain free to choose which AI assistants they want to use with WhatsApp.
Meta has strongly criticised the decision and says it will appeal.
The company described the order as regulatory overreach and argued that it would allow large AI companies to benefit from WhatsApp’s paid business service without paying.
Meta said the decision effectively gives companies such as OpenAI free access while many European businesses continue to pay for the product.
The Commission has warned that Meta could face fines of up to 10% of its total turnover if it fails to obey the order.
The dispute is the latest clash between Brussels and major American technology firms over competition, platform control and digital regulation.
EU authorities say enforcement is necessary to stop dominant platforms from blocking rivals and limiting consumer choice.
Meta, however, has repeatedly argued that European regulation is becoming excessive and could worsen the experience for users in the region.
The row has also drawn political attention, with the Trump administration accusing the EU and other regulators of unfairly targeting US technology companies.
