Meta Under EU Antitrust Scrutiny for WhatsApp AI Ban
The European Commission has accused Meta of abusing its dominance by excluding rival AI assistants from WhatsApp and signaled possible interim measures to protect competition.
The European Commission has accused Meta of abusing its dominance by excluding rival AI assistants from WhatsApp and signaled possible interim measures to protect competition.
The Commission designated WhatsApp Channels as a VLOP under the DSA, triggering four‑month compliance duties for systemic risk mitigation and Commission-led supervision by mid‑May 2026.
The European Commission has accepted Meta’s new EU ad model offering users a real choice between fully personalised and less personalised ads to comply with the Digital Markets Act.
Meta will introduce DMA-mandated third-party encrypted messaging interoperability in WhatsApp in the EU, giving users opt-in control, inbox choice, and E2EE-based security requirements.
A Dutch court ordered Meta to offer a persistent, accessible non-profiled feed under the DSA, reinforcing EU-wide user autonomy and limiting dark patterns in recommender systems.
Meta and Google will halt all political and social issue ads in the EU due to the strict requirements of the new TTPA regulation, citing excessive compliance burdens.
Meta has refused to sign the EU’s voluntary AI Code of Practice, citing legal uncertainties, as the bloc’s binding AI Act rules will soon take effect.
Apple and Meta have appealed DMA breach findings and €700 million in fines, challenging the European Commission’s enforcement of new digital market rules.
Meta faces potential daily fines from the EU for its “pay-or-consent” ad model, which regulators argue violates the Digital Markets Act by not offering a minimal-data alternative.
Apple and Meta have avoided immediate new penalties for DMA non-compliance, as the European Commission prioritizes compliance and dialogue over automatic fines.