• Source:JND

Meta Platforms has been directed by European Union antitrust regulators to provide access to its services, like WhatsApp, to competing AI chatbot services, a report suggests. The authorities are probing into allegations that Meta might have possibly leveraged its market position to impede rivals from gaining access to the messaging platform.

The European Commission's interim order comes after a few companies had filed for this, suggesting Meta restricted them from gaining access to its personal messaging platform, WhatsApp for Business, in October. The access was then later provided but with fees; this prompted the commission to probe this action.

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Meta Asked By Regulators To Open Free Access

According to a report from Reuters, Meta has been ordered by the EU to allow access to rival chatbots, which also includes players like OpenAI, to its messaging service, WhatsApp, free of any charges while the regulators continue to probe into Mark Zuckerberg-led companies' business practices. This step has been taken by the EU regulators on the complaints filed by The Interaction Company, which makes the Poke.com AI assistant, Agentik, and another Spanish rival.

The complaints have prompted the regulators to probe into these allegations, and an investigation was launched in December of 2025. Regulators had levied charges against Meta after two months and alleged that it was a breach of the EU's antitrust rules. Apart from that, additional charges were also levied after Meta had opened its access to its messaging app WhatsApp for business API (Application Programming Interface) but slapped it with a fine.

According to reports, Meta blocked competing AI providers from accessing the WhatsApp Business API in October 2025 while continuing to allow access for its own AI offering, Meta AI. The move prompted concerns from European regulators, who argued that Meta may be using WhatsApp's massive user base to strengthen its position in the rapidly growing AI market.

EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera said the fees charged by Meta were so high that they made it economically unviable for rivals to compete. She also indicated that the company's explanation for its pricing and access policies did not adequately address the Commission's concerns.

"It seems that Meta expects to leverage the vast reach and likely dominance of WhatsApp to benefit its own AI assistant and to foreclose rivals."

"It is now a critical time. AI markets are developing exceptionally fast, and AI systems are expected to become an important way for consumers all across Europe ‌to access ⁠and use AI."

Reports suggest the interim order will remain in place until the investigation reaches a conclusion or until June 2029, whichever comes first.

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Meta has pushed back against the decision, arguing that the Commission's order effectively forces the company to provide a paid business service to competitors at no cost. In an emailed statement, a Meta spokesperson criticised the ruling and confirmed that the company intends to challenge it through an appeal.

The case is likely to become another key test of how European regulators apply competition rules to the fast-evolving AI sector, particularly as large technology companies increasingly integrate AI services into platforms with billions of users.


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