Meta Under EU Antitrust Scrutiny for WhatsApp AI Ban

The European Commission has issued a Statement of Objections to Meta, setting out its preliminary view that the company may have breached EU competition law by restricting access to WhatsApp for third‑party artificial intelligence assistants. The case follows Meta’s decision, announced on 15 October 2025, to amend its WhatsApp Business Solution Terms in a way that effectively excludes competing general‑purpose AI assistants from the platform.

Since 15 January 2026, only Meta’s own tool, Meta AI, has been permitted to operate on WhatsApp. The Commission considers that Meta is likely to hold a dominant position in the European Economic Area market for consumer communication applications, with WhatsApp serving as a key channel for businesses and digital services to reach end users.

According to the Commission’s preliminary assessment, Meta may have abused this dominant position by refusing access to WhatsApp to other businesses, including third‑party AI providers. The Commission views WhatsApp as a critical gateway for general‑purpose AI assistants, and the exclusion of rivals risks foreclosing competition in a rapidly expanding market.

Given the risk of serious and irreparable harm to competition, the Commission has informed Meta of its intention to impose interim measures, subject to Meta’s right of defence. The investigation covers the entire EEA, except Italy, where the national competition authority adopted interim measures in December 2025. The Statement of Objections does not prejudge the final outcome, and Meta now has the opportunity to respond.