Meta ordered to give rival AI chatbots free WhatsApp access

Meta has been instructed by the European Commission to allow free access to WhatsApp for chatbots from competing AI providers during the ongoing antitrust investigation. The temporary measure, announced on Tuesday, aims to prevent significant and irreversible harm to competition in the AI assistant market.

This marks only the second time in over 20 years that the EU has employed its emergency powers, according to Politico. It follows a formal probe launched in December 2025 into whether Meta was abusing its dominant market position by blocking third-party AI chatbots on WhatsApp.

Although Meta restored access to rival chatbots “for a fee” in March—potentially breaching EU competition rules—the Commission now mandates that Meta reinstate free access on the same terms as before the ban.

European Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera stated, “In rapidly evolving markets, competition can be lost long before a final decision is made. These interim measures will stay in effect during the investigation to prevent harms that are difficult to remedy.

They will protect competition in the expanding AI assistant market by keeping WhatsApp, a vital consumer access point in Europe, open for AI companies to innovate, grow, and reach their full potential.”

Meta must comply by June 15. The broader antitrust probe continues with no set timeline for completion. Non-compliance could result in fines up to 10 percent of annual revenue, approximately $20 billion based on 2025 earnings.

In response, a Meta spokesperson told Politico that the case is unfounded and that the company intends to appeal:

“The European Commission has decided that OpenAI and some of the world’s largest companies can use the paid WhatsApp Business product for free. This is an overreach by regulators, subsidized by the many European firms that pay for it.”