The European Union is turning up the heat on Meta $META ( ▲ 2.38% ), warning it could impose interim measures if the company continues blocking rival AI assistants from operating through WhatsApp. Regulators argue that limiting access could stifle competition in a fast-growing AI market.
Meta pushed back, saying there is no reason for the EU to intervene in the WhatsApp Business API and claiming the messaging platform is not a critical distribution channel for chatbots.
AI Gatekeeping Under the Microscope
At the core of the dispute is whether Meta is giving its own AI tools an unfair advantage inside one of the world’s most widely used messaging platforms. EU officials appear concerned that controlling access to WhatsApp could let Meta shape how AI services reach users, potentially sidelining competitors.
The case could become an early test of how aggressively Europe plans to enforce rules designed to keep Big Tech from favoring its own services within dominant platforms.
Europe’s Bigger Tech Strategy
The pressure also fits into a broader European push to reduce reliance on major US tech firms by supporting local alternatives. Europe represents roughly a quarter of Meta’s total ad revenue, making it a region the company cannot afford to ignore.
If regulators force Meta to open WhatsApp more fully to outside AI tools, it could reshape how chatbots are distributed, integrated, and monetized across the continent.
For Meta, the fight is about platform control. For the EU, it is about making sure the next wave of AI competition is not locked behind one company’s walls.