EU orders Meta to open WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots

The EU has told Meta that it indispensable let AI chatbots operated by rival firms to usage WhatsApp for free.

The European Commission said the steadfast would request to support that entree portion it concluded an antitrust probe into the tech giant's determination to barroom entree for AI providers, different than Meta AI, connected the messaging platform.

It said the involution was needed to forestall "serious and irreparable harm to contention successful this increasing marketplace by Meta's conduct", which it said appeared to infringe EU contention rules.

Meta has reacted angrily, accusing the Commission of "regulatory overreach." It says it volition appeal.

The EU said it began its investigation, successful December 2025, aft Meta banned third-party general-purpose AI assistants from the WhatsApp for Business API.

It said that appeared to beryllium an maltreatment of Meta's ascendant presumption successful European markets.

So, arsenic an interim measure arsenic its probe continues, it has fixed Meta 5 moving days to re-instate entree for third-party general-purpose AI assistants to the WhatsApp for Business API nether the aforesaid presumption and conditions that were successful spot previously.

"In rapidly evolving markets, contention tin beryllium mislaid agelong earlier a last determination is adopted", said Teresa Ribera, the Commission's enforcement vice-president for clean, conscionable and competitory transition.

"This is wherefore these interim measures volition stay successful spot for the duration of the investigation."

She added the determination "preserved prime for citizens crossed Europe connected the AI assistants they privation to usage with WhatsApp, without that determination being made for them."

But Meta said the determination opened the doorway for hugely invaluable AI companies to summation entree to WhatsApp without paying.

"The European Commission has decided that OpenAI and immoderate of the largest companies successful the satellite tin usage the paid-for WhatsApp Business merchandise for free", it said successful a statement.

"This is regulatory overreach subsidised by the galore European companies that pay. We volition appeal."

The enactment is the conscionable the latest illustration of the strained relations betwixt European regulators and US large tech firms.

That followed a good imposed connected Meta the erstwhile week - conscionable 1 of galore fines handed retired by the EU which insists it is acting successful the interests of consumers successful the look of tech firms seeking to instrumentality vantage of their marketplace dominance.