London — European Union regulators on Tuesday ordered Metaplatforms to restore access to rival AI chatbot maker WhatsApp until an antitrust investigation is completed.
The EU Executive Committee, the 27-member EU’s top antitrust and competition enforcement agency, said it was taking steps to prevent any negative impact on competition in the growing AI assistant market before it is too late.
The commission said it was imposing “interim measures” while continuing its investigation into WhatsApp’s artificial intelligence policies over concerns that WhatsApp was breaking EU law by preventing competitors from offering AI assistants on its platform.
Mehta said he would appeal.
“The European Commission has decided that OpenAI and some of the world’s largest companies can use their paid WhatsApp Business products for free,” the company said in a statement. “This is a regulatory overreach that many European companies are paying to subsidize.”
Brussels has faced criticism that its antitrust investigations into Big Tech companies over the past few years have been too slow to rein in their market power, and has occasionally resorted to temporary orders.
“The AI market is developing at an exceptionally fast pace, and AI assistants are expected to become an important means of accessing and using AI for consumers across Europe,” Teresa Rivera, the commission’s vice president who oversees competition, told reporters in Brussels.
“Therefore, our tools should be used when damage occurs quickly and there is a risk that companies will be forced to exit the market.”
EU regulators last year began scrutinizing Meta’s updated terms and conditions for business customers, which use an AI assistant to communicate with customers through WhatsApp.
They were concerned that the agreement would prevent third-party AI companies from providing assistants on the platform, leaving users only with Meta’s chatbot service.
Meta tried to resolve the investigation by charging rivals for access, but regulators were not satisfied and threatened to force the company to reinstate free access in April.
River said Meta’s fees are so high that they are “not economically sustainable for our competitors,” without providing further details. The commission’s order will remain in effect until June 2029, or until the conclusion of the open-ended investigation.
If Meta does not comply with the order, it could be fined up to 10% of its annual revenue.
