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

The European Commission has issued a rare interim order requiring Meta to reopen WhatsApp to third-party AI assistants without charge while it completes an antitrust probe into the company's practices. The decision, announced Tuesday, marks only the second time in more than two decades that Brussels has deployed this emergency authority to halt what it describes as serious and irreparable harm to competition in the emerging market for general-purpose AI tools.

Meta first blocked rival chatbots from its WhatsApp Business API in October 2025, effectively making its own Meta AI the sole option for companies seeking to deliver automated notifications and services through the platform. The move came after years in which outside providers had used the same system to send order updates, appointment reminders and other messages. In March, Meta partially reversed course by offering paid access to competitors, but regulators concluded that a fee structure still disadvantaged smaller AI firms and preserved Meta's gatekeeping power.

Officials determined that Meta has held a dominant position in European messaging apps since at least 2023. By restricting the WhatsApp API, the company appeared to be leveraging that dominance to squeeze out rivals in the fast-growing AI assistant sector. Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera stated that swift action was essential because “competition can be lost long before a final decision is adopted.” The interim measures will remain in force for the duration of the investigation and require Meta to restore the pre-ban terms by June 15.

The order underscores the EU's willingness to treat access to widely used messaging infrastructure as a critical bottleneck that cannot be controlled by a single corporation. Rival AI developers had warned that Meta's restrictions threatened their ability to reach users at scale, potentially entrenching one company's model before the market matures. By insisting on free access during the probe, regulators aim to keep entry points open so that innovation is not dictated solely by Meta's commercial priorities.

Meta has not yet indicated whether it will appeal or comply by the deadline. The broader investigation continues to examine whether the original ban and subsequent fee-based policy amount to an abuse of dominance under EU competition law. For now, the Commission has made clear that preserving competitive conditions in AI takes precedence over Meta's preferred terms of service.