Meta Platforms has agreed to allow competing AI chatbots to access WhatsApp in Europe under certain conditions, in a move aimed at addressing concerns raised by the European Union’s antitrust regulator.
The decision followed pressure from the European Commission, which has been investigating whether Meta’s policies unduly restricted competitors’ distribution of AI assistants through WhatsApp. Regulators have warned that blocking rival chatbots could cause “serious and irreparable harm” to competition in the rapidly expanding AI market.
To avoid potential interim regulatory action, Meta has announced that it will support general-purpose AI chatbots using the WhatsApp Business API in Europe for the next 12 months, making them accessible through a paid model. The company said the deal will give regulators time to complete an ongoing antitrust investigation.
The controversy centers on policy changes introduced by Meta that effectively restrict third-party AI providers from distributing chatbot services through WhatsApp while allowing its own Meta AI assistant to operate on the platform. The European Commission has launched a formal investigation to determine whether these regulations amount to an abuse of market power under EU competition law.
Mehta had previously defended this limit, arguing that the rapid growth of AI chatbots would place a significant burden on systems that were not originally designed to support large-scale AI integration. The company also said developers have alternative distribution channels such as app stores, search engines and email services.
Regulatory pressure is spreading beyond Brussels. Italy’s antitrust authorities had already ordered Meta to suspend terms that could exclude competing AI chatbot providers from WhatsApp while an investigation into possible monopoly abuse continues.
Some developers remain skeptical of Meta’s latest concessions. Critics argue that requiring businesses to pay for access to the WhatsApp Business API could create new economic barriers that still limit fair competition in the AI ecosystem.
With investigations underway in the European Union and other jurisdictions, the case is being closely watched as a test of how regulators address competition concerns as AI assistants become increasingly integrated with large messaging platforms.
