Meta has been ordered to restore access to WhatsApp for competing artificial intelligence chatbots as European regulators investigate whether the technology giant has unfairly favoured its own AI service.
The European Commission has given the company five working days to allow third-party general-purpose AI assistants to use the WhatsApp Business API under the arrangements that were previously in place. The temporary order will remain active while officials examine whether Meta’s policy breaches EU competition law.
The investigation began in December 2025 after Meta restricted access to the business interface for rival AI providers while continuing to make Meta AI available through WhatsApp. Regulators said the move could make it more difficult for competing services to reach users and establish themselves in a rapidly expanding market.
The Commission said it acted before reaching a final decision because waiting until the end of the investigation could cause lasting damage to competition.
“In rapidly evolving markets, competition can be lost long before a final decision is adopted,” said Teresa Ribera, the Commission’s executive vice-president for clean, just and competitive transition. “This is why these interim measures will remain in place for the duration of the investigation.”
Ribera said the decision was intended to give people across Europe a genuine choice over which AI assistants they use on WhatsApp, rather than leaving that decision solely to the platform owner.
Meta has strongly criticised the intervention and said it would appeal. The company argues that the ruling would allow some of the world’s largest AI businesses to use a commercial WhatsApp product without paying, even though European companies are charged for access.
If Meta fails to comply, it could face a fine of up to 10% of its total global turnover.
The dispute is the latest sign of growing tension between European regulators and major U.S. technology companies. Brussels has stepped up scrutiny of digital platforms in recent years, arguing that tougher oversight is needed to protect consumers and prevent dominant firms from using their market power to limit competition.
Meta and other U.S. companies, however, have repeatedly warned that European rules risk placing additional costs on businesses and reducing the quality of services available to users.