EU Orders Meta to Open WhatsApp to Rival AI Chatbots

The European Union has ordered Meta to restore free access to WhatsApp for rival artificial intelligence chatbot providers, escalating a high-profile antitrust dispute that could shape the future of AI competition across Europe. The decision comes as EU regulators continue investigating whether Meta abused its market power by restricting competitors' access to WhatsApp while favoring its own AI services.

The European Commission, the European Union’s top competition authority, announced interim measures requiring Meta to allow competing AI assistants to access WhatsApp under the same conditions that existed before October 2025. Regulators argue that Meta’s actions could cause lasting harm to competition in the rapidly growing AI assistant market if left unchecked during the lengthy investigation process.

The dispute began after Meta changed its policies in October 2025, effectively preventing third-party AI chatbot developers from accessing WhatsApp’s Business application programming interface (API), a critical tool that allows businesses and AI services to connect with users on the messaging platform. While competitors were blocked, Meta continued offering access to its own AI assistant, Meta AI. Complaints from several companies, including California-based AI developer The Interaction Company, French startup Agentik, and a Spanish competitor, prompted the European Commission to launch a formal investigation in December 2025.

In February 2026, regulators issued preliminary charges alleging that Meta’s restrictions may have violated European competition laws. Meta later attempted to address concerns by introducing a paid access model that would allow rival AI assistants back onto the platform. However, regulators rejected the proposal, arguing that the fees were so high that they effectively maintained the original ban by making access economically unsustainable for competitors.

European Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera said regulators were particularly concerned about protecting competition in a market that is evolving rapidly. According to Ribera, AI assistants are expected to become one of the primary ways consumers access and interact with artificial intelligence in the coming years. She argued that allowing a dominant platform such as WhatsApp to favor its own AI products could prevent smaller companies and new entrants from competing effectively.

The Commission stated that the temporary order is necessary to prevent “serious and irreparable harm” to competition while the investigation continues. Regulators emphasized that traditional antitrust cases often take years to resolve, and by the time a final ruling is issued, the competitive damage may already be irreversible. The EU has rarely used such interim measures, with the last major case occurring in 2019.

Under the order, Meta must restore access to the WhatsApp Business API within five working days and maintain that access throughout the investigation. The interim measures could remain in effect until the investigation concludes or, at the latest, until June 2029. If regulators ultimately determine that Meta violated EU antitrust rules, the company could face fines of up to 10 percent of its global annual turnover.

Meta strongly criticized the decision and confirmed that it plans to appeal. The company argued that the ruling forces it to provide free access to large AI companies, including OpenAI, for a service that other businesses pay to use. A Meta spokesperson described the order as regulatory overreach that would effectively subsidize some of the world’s largest technology companies at the expense of paying customers.

The case represents another chapter in the European Union’s broader effort to regulate major technology companies and ensure fair competition in emerging digital markets. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into messaging platforms and everyday online experiences, the outcome of the investigation could have significant implications for how AI services compete and operate across Europe in the years ahead.

Works Cited

“EU Orders Meta to Restore WhatsApp Access for Rival AI Chatbots.” ABC News, 9 June 2026, https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/eu-orders-meta-restore-whatsapp-access-rival-ai-133716331.

Chee, Foo Yun. “Meta Ordered by EU to Allow Rival AI Chatbots Back on WhatsApp for Free.” Reuters, 9 June 2026, https://www.reuters.com/world/eu-regulators-order-meta-allow-rival-ai-chatbots-free-access-whatsapp-2026-06-09/.

“EU Orders Meta to Open WhatsApp to Rival AI Chatbots for Free.” France 24, 9 June 2026, https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260609-eu-orders-meta-to-open-whatsapp-to-rival-ai-chatbots-for-free.

WhatsApp Image. The Independent, Yahoo News CDN, https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/jTo.niM.mZTeZnulYC3KyA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_independent_577/38b3375d7cbf6346e9b7b1395997cda5.

WhatsApp Logo. TechCrunch, https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/whatsapp-logo.jpg?resize=2048,1366.