The European Commission has ordered Meta to restore and maintain access for competing general-purpose artificial intelligence assistants on WhatsApp, pending the outcome of an ongoing competition investigation.
The decision forms part of interim antitrust measures aimed at preventing serious and potentially irreversible harm to competition in the rapidly growing AI assistant market.
Focus on WhatsApp Business API restrictions
The Meta EU investigation centres on policies introduced by the company in 2025 that restricted third-party AI assistants from accessing the WhatsApp Business Application Programming Interface (API) while maintaining access for its own service, Meta AI.
The Commission said it launched a formal antitrust investigation in December 2025, followed by a statement of objections in February 2026 and a supplementary notice in April 2026, as it examined whether interim measures were necessary.
Preliminary findings on market dominance
According to preliminary findings, the Commission considers that Meta may have held a dominant position in the market for consumer communication apps in the European Economic Area at least since January 2023.
The EU investigation into Meta also assesses whether restricting access to WhatsApp’s infrastructure could amount to an abuse of dominance under EU competition rules.
Officials argue that limiting third-party AI services could reduce competition in the emerging AI assistant sector.
Policy changes and pricing concerns
The Commission noted that Meta introduced a policy in October 2025 prohibiting general-purpose AI assistants from accessing the WhatsApp API, effectively limiting access to Meta AI.
Although access was later restored in March 2026, the Commission said the introduction of fees could still have a restrictive effect on competitors.
EU Commission statement
European Commission Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera said the measures are necessary to ensure fair competition while the investigation continues.
She stressed that in fast-moving digital markets, competition can be harmed before a final decision is reached, making interim action essential.
Access must be restored within days
Under the decision, Meta must restore access for competing AI assistants under the same conditions that existed before 15 October 2025, when access was free of charge.
The company has five working days to comply, and these conditions must remain in place until the Commission reaches a final decision.
Failure to comply could result in fines of up to 10% of Meta’s global annual turnover, along with daily penalties.
Ongoing investigation
The Commission emphasised that there is no legal deadline for completing antitrust investigations, as timelines depend on case complexity and cooperation from the companies involved.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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