The EU is probing Meta over WhatsApp’s AI chatbot restrictions

The European Union has launched a formal probe into Meta implicit antitrust concerns with AI restrictions successful WhatsApp. The probe aims to “prevent immoderate imaginable irreparable harm to contention successful the AI space” according to the EU, and follows Meta announcing changes to WhatsApp’s terms for businesses successful October that volition prohibit companies from utilizing the platform’s API to administer third-party AI chatbots.

“As a effect of the caller policy, competing AI providers whitethorn beryllium blocked from reaching their customers done WhatsApp,” says the European Commission’s announcement. “On the different hand, Meta’s ain AI work ‘Meta AI’ would stay accessible to users connected the platform.”

The updated WhatsApp argumentation went into effect connected October 15 for AI providers that don’t already person services connected the platform, and volition use to existing AI providers connected WhatsApp starting January 15th, 2026. OpenAI and Microsoft responded to the argumentation changes earlier this twelvemonth by announcing that ChatGPT and Copilot would beryllium removed from the platform.

The probe volition measure whether Meta violated the EU laws that “prohibit the maltreatment of a ascendant position” to marque it harder for smaller providers to vie with its ain services. There is nary deadline for the investigation. If Meta is ruled to person breached the bloc’s antitrust rules, it whitethorn look fines up to 10 percent of the company’s planetary yearly revenue, moving retired astatine $16.45 cardinal (per Meta’s 2024 earnings).

“AI markets are booming successful Europe and beyond,” European contention commissioner Teresa Ribera said successful the announcement. “We indispensable guarantee European citizens and businesses tin payment afloat from this technological gyration and enactment to forestall ascendant integer incumbents from abusing their powerfulness to assemblage retired innovative competitors.”