EU Orders WhatsApp to Stay Open to Competing AI Assistants
The European Commission has ordered Meta by interim measures to restore free access to WhatsApp for competing AI assistants. The measure applies until the conclusion of the ongoing competition proceedings and is intended to prevent the market for AI assistants from suffering irreparable harm before a final decision can be reached.
Background: Meta’s Access Block and Its Consequences
On 15 October 2025, Meta introduced a new policy that excluded third-party providers of general AI assistants from the so-called WhatsApp for Business API. This meant that only Meta’s own AI assistant, Meta AI, remained accessible via WhatsApp. Following a revision of the policy, Meta did allow third-party providers back from 4 March 2026 onwards, but imposed fees that the Commission classified as a de facto access ban.
The Commission had opened proceedings in December 2025. In February 2026, a first statement of objections followed, and in April 2026 a supplementary communication was issued with the express intention of requiring Meta to restore access. The formal decision has now been issued.
Meta AI Deeply Embedded in WhatsApp
Meta’s in-house AI assistant, Meta AI, is deeply integrated into WhatsApp and easily recognisable to users: a purple-blue ring in the bottom right corner of the app’s home screen marks the direct access point to the assistant. Meta AI is based on the company’s proprietary AI model Muse Spark. Through this close integration with the platform, Meta AI enjoyed a structural advantage over competing products, which the Commission has classified as anti-competitive.
OpenAI Already Withdrew in January
Not all third-party providers waited for a regulatory solution. OpenAI severed its WhatsApp connection for ChatGPT as early as January 2026, after Meta introduced new terms of use. The company communicated the step directly to affected users and stated that it focused on making the transition as smooth as possible. Other providers that had used WhatsApp as an open interface for general AI models were also excluded from the platform.
The Commission’s Decision in Detail
The Commission bases its decision on three central findings. First, Meta has held a dominant position in the EEA-wide market for consumer communications applications via WhatsApp since at least January 2023. Second, Meta abused this position by denying access to a previously open infrastructure. Third, urgent action is required, as the market for AI assistants is in a critical phase of development in which smaller providers and new entrants still have the opportunity to challenge established players.
Meta is required to restore access for third-party providers under the conditions that applied before 15 October 2025 — in particular, free of charge. The deadline for implementation is five working days. In the event of non-compliance, fines of up to ten percent of global annual turnover as well as daily penalty payments of up to five percent of average daily turnover are threatened.
Voice of the Commission
“Today we are requiring Meta to restore access to WhatsApp for competing AI assistants while we investigate whether the restrictions violate EU competition rules. In fast-moving markets, competition can be lost long before a final decision is reached. These interim measures will protect competition in the growing market for AI assistants by preserving an important access point to consumers in Europe.”
Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission
Assessment and Outlook
The decision is only the second interim measure the Commission has issued since Regulation 1/2003 entered into force. The first comparable case concerned semiconductor manufacturer Broadcom in 2009. The substantive proceedings against Meta are ongoing; there is no statutory deadline for their conclusion. The Commission emphasises that the interim measures are intended to safeguard the effectiveness of a possible final decision.
