"The European Commission has sent a Statement of Objections to Meta, setting out its preliminary view that Meta breached EU antitrust rules by excluding third-party Artificial Intelligence ('AI') assistants from accessing and interacting with users on WhatsApp. Meta's conduct risks blocking competitors from entering or expanding in the rapidly growing market for AI assistants."
"The Commission says that on Oct. 15 last year, Meta announced an update to its WhatsApp Business Solution terms, which effectively bans third-party general-purpose AI assistants from the application. "As a result, since 15 January 2026, the only AI assistant available on WhatsApp is Meta's own tool, Meta AI, while competitors have been excluded." That's in breach of EU rules around competition, as it will significantly limit the capacity of third-party AI providers to enter the market, given Meta's dominant position."
Tensions have risen between the EU and the United States over penalties imposed on American-owned social platforms, with U.S. officials expressing dissatisfaction with EU regulations. The European Commission sent a Statement of Objections to Meta, preliminarily finding that Meta excluded third-party AI assistants from accessing and interacting with users on WhatsApp. The Commission says an October 15 update to WhatsApp Business Solution terms effectively banned third-party general-purpose AI assistants, and since January 15, 2026 only Meta AI is available. The Commission argues the exclusion harms competition, asks Meta to allow third-party tools, and will impose interim measures while awaiting Meta's response.
Read at Social Media Today
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