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

The European Commission has directed Meta to reopen WhatsApp to third-party AI assistants without charge while it completes an antitrust probe into the company's practices. The interim order, issued on Tuesday, marks only the second use of such emergency powers by EU regulators in more than two decades and requires compliance by June 15.

The decision stems from an investigation opened in December 2025 into Meta's October 2025 policy that barred competing AI chatbots from the WhatsApp Business API. That move left Meta AI as the sole chatbot able to operate through the service. Before the restriction, companies had used the platform to deliver notifications and other automated messages via external AI tools. In March, Meta adjusted its approach to permit access for a fee, but regulators determined that arrangement did not resolve the underlying competition concerns.

Officials argue that Meta has maintained a dominant position in European messaging apps since at least 2023. By controlling a major channel for reaching users, the company can shape how newer AI services gain traction in a fast-moving market. European competition commissioner Teresa Ribera stated that competition risks being lost before a final ruling if immediate steps are not taken. The measures are intended to preserve WhatsApp as an entry point for AI developers and to avoid damage that would be difficult to reverse later.

The order reinstates the pre-ban terms, meaning rival assistants must again be able to connect on the same free basis that existed previously. Regulators emphasized that the rapidly evolving nature of AI makes delays especially costly, as smaller providers could lose ground permanently while the investigation continues. The commission has framed the action as necessary to let those companies innovate and expand without being cut off from a key distribution channel.

Meta has not yet commented publicly on the latest directive. The company had previously described its original ban as a response to spam and security risks, though the Commission has not accepted that justification as sufficient to override competition rules. The broader investigation remains ongoing, and the interim requirements will stay in place until it concludes.

This episode illustrates how established platforms can influence the trajectory of emerging technologies through control of user interfaces and data flows. WhatsApp's scale in Europe gives it particular weight in determining which AI tools reach consumers at scale. By acting now, regulators are attempting to keep multiple options viable during a period when AI assistants are still defining their core features and business models. The outcome of the full case could set precedents for how messaging services interact with new categories of software, especially as those services become more central to everyday communication and transactions.