Meta Platforms is at the center of a new antitrust battle in Europe. As a result, the company has decided to give access to WhatsApp to AI competitors (for a period of one year). This is in an attempt to prevent a possible interim order from European Union regulators, following complaints that rivals were blocked from the messaging service.
The European Commission and the threat of interim measures
The European Commission, which enforces EU competition rules, warned last month that it could issue interim measures to prevent serious and irreparable harm to Meta's competitors. The company had blocked third-party chatbots from WhatsApp. The move mirrors similar moves by the Italian regulator, which had forced the company to open up its platform to competing AI tools.
Access for a fee for competitive chatbots
Meta has now informed the European Commission that it will allow competing chatbots to use the WhatsApp Business API in Europe for the next 12 months, in exchange for financial compensation. The move comes after a block imposed on January 15, when only Meta's AI assistant had access to the platform.
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A company spokesperson said the move provides the European Commission with the necessary time to complete its investigation and they believe it reduces the need for immediate regulatory intervention. The Commission is also considering how this change will affect both the review of the provisional measures and the broader antitrust process.
Competitors' reactions and concerns
Although Meta presents the new policy as a compliance measure, some competitors question its usefulness. Interaction Company of California, creator of the AI assistant Poke.com and a complainant to regulators in the EU and Italy, called the move “false compliance” because the fee makes using WhatsApp just as difficult (as the previous complete block) as it was. Its CEO, Marvin von Hagen, said the so-called “solution” replaces a restriction with a new anticompetitive mechanism.
Meta's policy and the technical burden
The company has argued that introducing multiple chatbots to its platforms creates a significant burden on its systems and that there are other channels for developing AI solutions, such as app stores, search engines, email services, collaboration integrations and operating systems. However, access to WhatsApp is considered strategically important for AI companies looking to tap into the service's massive user base.
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Previous examples in Italy
Meta had already allowed competing chatbots to operate on WhatsApp in Italy, following an order from the Italian antitrust authority in January. The investigation there is ongoing as regulators assess the company's full compliance and the effectiveness of the measures it implemented.
Policy expansion in Brazil
Meta also announced that the policy changes will be implemented in Brazil, following a court ruling that reinstated antitrust injunctions from the country’s antitrust authority that had been suspended earlier in January. The Brazilian case shares similar features to the EU and Italian investigations, underscoring the international competition challenges the company faces.
Strategy and implications for the AI market
Meta's move highlights its strategy of controlling access to platforms with large user bases while protecting its own AI products. At the same time, it creates heated confrontations with competitors and regulators, who believe that paid access can be as restrictive as an outright blockade.
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As messaging platforms and AI chatbots increase their importance in everyday communication and business applications, this case highlights the difficulty for regulators to balance innovation, competition, and consumer protection, while technology companies continue to seek strategic control of their ecosystems.
The case is expected to set future third‑party access policies on WhatsApp and other social networking platforms, serving as a critical test for the application of competition rules in high‑tech digital markets.
source: Reuters
