EU orders Meta to restore third-party AI access on WhatsApp as antitrust case deepens
The European Commission has stepped up its antitrust action against Meta, ordering the company to temporarily restore access for external AI providers on WhatsApp.
The move targets WhatsApp Business rules that limited how third-party assistants could connect with customers via the platform.
Brussels said it has sent Meta a fresh statement of objections and imposed interim measures designed to prevent lasting harm while the investigation continues. Interim measures are rare in EU competition cases and are typically used when regulators fear damage could be difficult to reverse.
What changed in WhatsApp Business
The dispute centers on changes Meta introduced to WhatsApp’s business terms that restricted access to the WhatsApp API for certain third-party AI services.
Regulators argue the policy effectively blocked rivals from offering AI-powered customer support through WhatsApp, while Meta’s own tools were not hit by the same limits.
Before the restrictions, some AI providers integrated assistants into WhatsApp so users and companies could interact with chatbots inside the app. The Commission’s concern is that cutting off those integrations could weaken competition in fast-moving AI markets.
Meta’s reasoning faces EU scrutiny
Meta has argued that chatbot-style integrations can generate significant traffic and strain systems, and that WhatsApp’s API should remain focused on its original purpose of business messaging.
The Commission said those explanations did not address its preliminary view that Meta may be leveraging market power to sideline competitors.
Meta has said it adjusted its approach in recent months by allowing third-party access under paid terms. The Commission indicated that replacing an outright block with pricing that is effectively prohibitive may still restrict access in practice.
Interim order sets earlier conditions
Under the Commission’s order, Meta must temporarily reinstate the functionality for external AI providers on terms comparable to those in place before the policy shift. The requirement remains in effect until the investigation concludes and the EU reaches a final decision.
Commission Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera said interim measures are meant to prevent dominant firms from pushing rivals out of rapidly evolving sectors such as AI.
Meta could still contest the allegations as the case proceeds, but the order signals intensifying regulatory pressure on its WhatsApp business model.
