European Union competition regulators charged Meta Platforms on Monday with antitrust violations for blocking rival AI assistants from WhatsApp through a policy effective January 15, 2026, and threatened interim measures to reverse it.
The European Commission issued a statement of objections, a formal charge sheet under EU competition law, accusing Meta of breaching antitrust rules. This action targets Meta’s policy that prohibits AI providers from using the WhatsApp Business API when artificial intelligence serves as the primary service offered. The policy took effect on January 15, 2026, following updated terms first announced in October 2025. These terms position Meta AI as the sole general-purpose AI assistant accessible to WhatsApp’s approximately three billion users, while excluding competitors such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other general-purpose AI assistants. Regulators view this exclusion as a violation that limits access for rival technologies on the widely used messaging platform.
The Commission has signaled its readiness to implement interim measures, a rarely invoked regulatory tool, to reverse the policy and restore competition during Meta’s preparation of its defense. This step addresses concerns over potential serious and irreparable harm to the AI market. The investigation into the matter originated in December 2024, when EU executive vice-president for competition Teresa Ribera initiated the probe. At that time, Ribera stated, “AI markets are booming in Europe and beyond. We must ensure European citizens and businesses can benefit fully from this technological revolution and act to prevent dominant digital incumbents from abusing their power to crowd out innovative competitors.”
Parallel regulatory actions have emerged in other countries. In December 2024, Italy’s antitrust authority directed Meta to suspend the policy within its territory. Meta responded by exempting Italian phone numbers from the ban, allowing continued access for those users despite the broader restrictions. This decision followed the Italian order and highlighted early international scrutiny of the policy.
Brazil’s competition authority launched its own investigation in November 2024. The probe stemmed from complaints filed by AI companies Luzia and Zapia. These firms accused Meta of pursuing an “embrace, extend, and extinguish” strategy, whereby developers are initially encouraged to build on WhatsApp, only to face expulsion later. This allegation centers on Meta’s approach to third-party integrations on the platform.
The Interaction Company, based in California and operator of the AI assistant Poke.com, submitted complaints to both Italian and EU regulators. Marvin von Hagen, the company’s co-founder and CEO, remarked, “Meta should have suspended the policy worldwide, not just in Italy. The Commission must urgently follow Italy’s lead and adopt interim measures.” This call underscores demands for broader suspension pending resolution.
Meta defends its position by asserting that the WhatsApp Business API was never intended as a distribution platform for third-party AI chatbots. A company spokesperson labeled the allegations “baseless” and pointed to the “unsustainable strain” imposed on WhatsApp’s systems by rival chatbots. Should the EU find Meta in violation of antitrust rules, the company risks fines up to 10 percent of its global annual revenue.
Meta has faced prior penalties in the region. Earlier in 2025, it received a €200 million fine for violations of the Digital Markets Act. Additionally, in November 2024, regulators imposed a €798 million fine for bundling Facebook Marketplace with its social media platform.
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