The European Union has initiated a comprehensive and formal antitrust investigation into Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, as part of growing concerns over the technology giant’s recent restrictions on artificial intelligence–powered tools within its messaging platform. According to the EU’s announcement, the inquiry seeks to ensure that competition within the rapidly expanding field of artificial intelligence remains both open and fair. European regulators emphasized that this probe is intended to prevent what they described as any potential ‘irreparable harm’ to competitive dynamics in the AI marketplace—particularly in light of Meta’s new terms of service for WhatsApp Business users, introduced in October. These updated rules are designed to prohibit third-party organizations from utilizing WhatsApp’s application programming interface (API) to deploy or integrate externally developed AI chatbots across the platform.
The European Commission’s statement elaborated that under Meta’s revised policy framework, rival AI service providers might effectively lose one of their most direct communication channels to reach their existing or potential customers via WhatsApp. In contrast, Meta’s proprietary and internally developed conversational assistant, known as ‘Meta AI,’ would continue to remain fully accessible and operative within the same environment, potentially granting Meta a competitive advantage. This disparity in access has triggered widespread apprehension among industry competitors and regulators alike, who interpret the policy as a possible attempt to consolidate control over the AI ecosystem within Meta’s own digital infrastructure.
The policy adjustments took effect on October 15 for AI providers not yet active on WhatsApp, while existing external AI developers already offering services through the platform have been given an extended grace period. For them, the new restrictions will officially apply starting January 15, 2026. In response to these policy changes, two of the leading entities in the global AI sector—OpenAI and Microsoft—publicly announced earlier this year that their flagship products, ChatGPT and Copilot respectively, would be withdrawn from the WhatsApp environment. Their decision was widely viewed as symbolic of the growing tension between large platform owners and independent developers seeking equitable access to user networks.
The ongoing European investigation will therefore examine whether Meta’s conduct represents a violation of established EU laws designed to curb monopolistic behavior and prevent the abuse of a dominant market position. In particular, regulators will attempt to determine whether Meta’s revised rules strategically hinder smaller or third-party AI providers from competing on equal footing, thereby restraining innovation and consumer choice. The Commission has not yet set a definitive timeline for completing this inquiry, recognizing the complexity and nuance of antitrust proceedings in emerging technological sectors such as artificial intelligence.
Should the investigation ultimately determine that Meta infringed upon the EU’s stringent antitrust regulations, the company could face penalties of significant magnitude. Under current European law, the Commission has the authority to impose financial fines of up to ten percent of a firm’s global annual revenue, a figure that—based on Meta’s 2024 earnings data—could amount to approximately $16.45 billion. Such a penalty would represent one of the most substantial sanctions ever levied against a technology corporation in the European market, underscoring the seriousness with which the EU views potential anti-competitive behavior in the AI domain.
Teresa Ribera, the European Commissioner for Competition, underscored the broader significance of the case by stating that ‘AI markets are booming in Europe and beyond,’ and that it is vital to guarantee all citizens, companies, and innovators have the opportunity to benefit from the ongoing technological revolution. She further emphasized the Commission’s duty to act decisively in order to prevent dominant digital corporations from exploiting their entrenched positions to exclude or marginalize emerging rivals. The investigation into Meta, therefore, is not only a legal undertaking but also a symbolic reflection of Europe’s growing commitment to fostering a vibrant, transparent, and competitive digital economy—one that balances innovation with public accountability.
Sourse: https://www.theverge.com/news/838020/meta-whatsapp-eu-antitrust-investigation-ai-tools
