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Brussels – Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook) is facing a formal antitrust investigation from the European Union (EU) over its new policy on WhatsApp that restricts third-party artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots from operating on the popular messaging service. The EU's move signals a deepening scrutiny of how tech giants leverage their market dominance to potentially stifle competition in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
The European Commission announced on Thursday that it has initiated a probe into Meta's revised WhatsApp API (Application Programming Interface) terms of service. The Commission suspects that these changes may prevent rival AI firms from offering their services—such as AI assistants—to WhatsApp's vast user base. An API is essentially a tool that allows external developers to access and use a company's software or service.
The Heart of the Allegation: Favoring "Meta AI"
Meta has been aggressively integrating its proprietary AI chatbot, "Meta AI," across its family of apps, including WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram. The EU alleges that Meta is attempting to leverage its dominant position in the messaging market to exclude competing AI services like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Microsoft's Copilot.
"We must ensure that European citizens and businesses can fully benefit from this technological revolution, and we must prevent digital companies from abusing their power to exclude innovative competitors," stated Teresa Rivera, the EU Commissioner for Competition. Her remarks underscore the bloc's commitment to maintaining a competitive digital ecosystem and ensuring that innovation in AI is not solely controlled by a few gatekeepers.
WhatsApp's Dominance and Meta's Defense
WhatsApp holds an overwhelming market share in the European smartphone messenger market, exceeding 90% in many regions. This dominance makes any policy change on the platform a matter of significant concern for competition regulators.
In its defense, a WhatsApp spokesperson countered the allegations, stating that the emergence of AI chatbots on their Business API has introduced "burdens that were not considered during the system's design." The spokesperson also argued that users are not blocked from accessing desired AI services, as they remain available through alternative channels, such as app stores, search engines, and email.
This investigation is the latest in a series of regulatory actions taken by the EU against major American technology corporations accused of abusing their market power or violating digital regulations. The EU frequently imposes hefty fines on these firms under various pretexts, including anti-competitive practices and the dissemination of illegal content. Meta, in particular, was fined €200 million (approximately $217 million) in April for violating the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The outcome of this new investigation will set an important precedent for the integration of AI within established communication platforms and will test the limits of platform control in an age where AI-driven services are becoming indispensable. The probe is expected to focus on whether Meta's restrictions constitute an anti-competitive practice that ultimately harms consumers by limiting their choice of AI assistants.
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