EU Orders Meta to Restore Free WhatsApp Access for Rival AI Assistants

The European Commission has ordered Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to restore free access to its popular messaging service WhatsApp for rival artificial intelligence assistants. This move aims to prevent serious harm to competition in the growing market for general-purpose AI assistants.

The decision comes after an antitrust investigation was launched into Meta's new policy of blocking access to WhatsApp for non-Meta AI providers. In February 2026, the Commission issued a Statement of Objections, concluding that interim measures may be required to prevent harm to competition.

Meta must comply with these measures within five working days and maintain free access to WhatsApp for third-party AI assistants until the end of the antitrust investigation. The company's policy change was seen as an attempt to use its dominance in the market to limit rivals' access to WhatsApp, which could have serious consequences for competition.

The Commission has used its interim measures powers to order Meta to reinstate access to WhatsApp under the same terms and conditions as before. Failure to do so could result in fines of up to 10% of total turnover or daily periodic penalty payments not exceeding 5% of average daily turnover.

According to Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera, 'we cannot let large digital incumbents use their dominance to dictate who gets to compete and innovate in AI.' The Commission's decision will allow third-party AI providers to continue interacting with WhatsApp users without significant costs, preserving competition in the market and giving consumers a wider range of choices when using AI assistants on WhatsApp.

Meta has been given three years to comply with the order until June 2029. During this time, the company must maintain access to WhatsApp for third-party AI providers under the same terms as before. The Commission's investigation will continue in parallel, examining all aspects of Meta's policy change and its impact on competition.