EU warns Meta over WhatsApp AI block

The European Commission has told Meta it may order interim measures after a preliminary finding that WhatsApp’s recent Business API changes effectively left Meta’s own assistant as the only chatbot available on the platform.

Regulators say Meta updated its WhatsApp Business Solution Terms in October and made them effective in mid‑January, changes that block general‑purpose AI assistants from distributing via the API while allowing Meta’s own tool to remain.

Brussels has sent Meta a Statement of Objections outlining a preliminary view that the company likely abused a dominant position in consumer messaging by excluding rival AI assistants, a move the Commission says could harm competition across the EEA.

The Commission warned it is considering fast interim measures to prevent “serious and irreparable harm” while the probe continues, raising the possibility of legally compelled API access for rival chatbots during the investigation.

Italy’s competition authority has already acted independently: the AGCM imposed interim steps in December and ordered Meta to suspend the restrictive terms insofar as they apply in Italy. The Italian regulator said the rules risked limiting market access and causing irreparable damage while investigations proceed.

Meta rejects the Commission’s preliminary view and has defended the policy as necessary for system stability, saying WhatsApp’s APIs were not designed for high‑volume, general‑purpose chatbots and pointing to other distribution routes for AI services.

The policy changes prompted several third‑party providers to withdraw or pause their chatbot integrations on WhatsApp, leaving rivals with fewer channels to reach users through the popular messaging app. That practical effect underpins regulators’ concern that market contestability could be reduced.

Under EU competition law the Commission can order interim remedies without waiting for a final finding if it judges the restrictions would cause irreparable harm; the watchdog has framed the WhatsApp changes as precisely that sort of urgent risk.

If the Commission later finds an abuse of dominance, Meta could face fines of up to 10% of global turnover and be ordered to change behaviour — including restoring access for competitors — though any final sanction would follow full proceedings.

Meta has a right to reply to the Statement of Objections and to request an oral hearing; Brussels said its decision on interim measures will depend on Meta’s response and the legal tests being met. The filing does not prejudge the outcome of the formal probe.

The dispute highlights a broader regulatory question: whether dominant messaging platforms can be treated as essential distribution gateways for new AI services, and how quickly competition authorities should step in when platform changes risk freezing rivals out.

For rivals and startups the Commission’s move signals that EU regulators are willing to act quickly to keep access channels open while competition cases play out, and it raises the real prospect that developers could win legally compelled access to platform APIs across the European Economic Area.