EU antitrust regulators have ordered Meta Platforms to grant rival AI chatbots free access to its WhatsApp for Business API. The European Commission issued an interim measure to preserve competition while investigating Meta for alleged abuse of market power.
The European Commission's order aims to ensure a competitive landscape in the fast-growing AI market by preventing Meta from leveraging its dominant messaging platform to disadvantage rivals.
European Union antitrust regulators have ordered Meta Platforms to grant rival AI chatbots free access to its WhatsApp messaging service, aiming to preserve competition in the rapidly evolving AI assistant market. The European Commission's decision, its first interim measure in 17 years, follows complaints from AI startups that alleged Meta abused its market power by blocking competitors from accessing the messaging app's API.
Meta had barred rival AI services from its WhatsApp for Business application programming interface in October last year, while exempting its own Meta AI assistant. Although Meta later allowed competitors back onto the platform for a fee in March, this move drew objections from the Commission. The interim measure mandates that Meta must restore rivals' access to the WhatsApp for Business API on the same terms and conditions that were in place before October, within five working days.
EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera stated that the measures would safeguard competition by preserving a key entry point to consumers in Europe and allowing AI companies to innovate and scale. Meta criticized the order, calling it regulatory overreach and stating its intention to appeal. The company faces a potential fine of up to 10% of its global annual turnover if found to have breached EU antitrust rules.