The EU is probing Meta over WhatsApp’s AI chatbot restrictions
The European Union is scrutinizing Meta over concerns that its restrictions on third-party AI chatbots within WhatsApp violate antitrust regulations. This formal investigation, announced by the EU, seeks to safeguard competition in the burgeoning AI market and prevent potential harm to smaller providers. The probe highlights the EU's commitment to ensuring fair competition within its digital landscape, especially concerning dominant tech platforms. The investigation focuses on Meta's updated WhatsApp terms, which took effect on October 15th for new AI providers and will apply to existing ones starting January 15, 2026. This policy change prohibits businesses from using WhatsApp's API to distribute AI chatbots not provided by Meta itself. The EU's announcement notes this could block competing AI providers from accessing users through WhatsApp, while Meta's own AI service, "Meta AI," remains accessible. This investigation targets whether Meta is abusing its dominant market position, making it difficult for smaller competitors to thrive. The stakes are high, with potential fines reaching up to 10% of Meta's global annual revenue, which could amount to $16.45 billion based on 2024 earnings. The EU's competition commissioner emphasizes the importance of protecting European businesses and citizens from dominant digital incumbents seeking to stifle competition. The EU's actions follow significant responses from OpenAI and Microsoft, which announced the removal of their chatbots, ChatGPT and Copilot, from WhatsApp due to the policy changes. The investigation has no set deadline, but its outcome will significantly impact how Meta operates its platform and the competitive dynamics of the AI chatbot market within Europe.
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