Meta Offers Limited WhatsApp Access to Rival AI in EU
Meta offered limited free WhatsApp access to rival AI chatbots in the EU, but critics say usage caps and fees fail to address competition concerns under EU antitrust rules.
Meta offered limited free WhatsApp access to rival AI chatbots in the EU, but critics say usage caps and fees fail to address competition concerns under EU antitrust rules.
Ireland’s media regulator has opened DSA investigations into Meta over alleged dark patterns that may prevent users from choosing non‑profiling recommender feeds on Facebook and Instagram.
The European Commission found Meta’s Instagram and Facebook in breach of EU law for failing to prevent children under 13 from accessing their platforms and may impose heavy fines.
Meta temporarily opens WhatsApp’s Business API to AI chatbots in Europe as the Commission weighs interim antitrust measures and broader competition concerns.
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.