On Tuesday, the European Commission ordered Meta to restore free access to WhatsApp for rival AI assistants, ruling that the company’s policy appears to violate EU competition rules.
The interim measure will stay in effect until the ongoing antitrust investigation is concluded, News.Az reports, citing Politico.
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In October 2025, Meta banned third-party AI assistants from the WhatsApp for Business API, leaving only Meta AI accessible. A March 2026 revision reopened access but imposed fees that regulators say effectively replicated the ban. As per the statement, the Commission found that Meta has held a dominant position in the EEA market for consumer communication apps since at least January 2023.
Meta must reinstate the pre-October 2025 free-access terms within five working days, and the tech giant stated it will appeal the interim decision.
