Meta Platforms has been directed by European Union antitrust authorities to provide competing artificial intelligence chatbot developers with free access to WhatsApp while regulators continue examining allegations that the company may have used its dominant market position to restrict competition within the messaging ecosystem.
The interim order was issued by the European Commission following complaints submitted by several AI companies, including California-based The Interaction Company, the creator of the Poke.com AI assistant, along with French startup Agentik and a competing Spanish AI firm.
According to the Commission, the temporary measure is intended to prevent potential harm to competition while the broader antitrust investigation remains ongoing. Regulators are assessing whether Meta’s practices may have unfairly limited rival AI services from integrating with WhatsApp, one of the world’s largest messaging platforms.
The decision requires Meta to grant qualifying competing AI chatbot providers access to WhatsApp free of charge for the duration of the investigation.
The move represents one of the most significant regulatory interventions involving artificial intelligence and digital platform access in Europe. Authorities argue that maintaining open access during the probe is necessary to ensure a level playing field and to avoid irreversible market effects that could arise if competitors remain excluded.
Meta has strongly opposed the order and indicated that it intends to challenge the decision through legal channels. The company argues that the measure goes beyond what is necessary and could negatively affect innovation and platform operations.
In a statement, Meta criticized the Commission’s action as “regulatory overreach” and confirmed plans to appeal the ruling.
The investigation forms part of the European Union’s broader efforts to monitor the conduct of major technology companies and ensure compliance with competition laws, particularly in rapidly expanding sectors such as artificial intelligence.
If regulators ultimately determine that Meta violated EU antitrust rules, the company could face penalties of up to 10% of its global annual turnover.
The case is expected to be closely watched across the technology industry, as its outcome could influence future regulatory approaches to AI interoperability, platform access, and competition within digital markets.
