Meta Platforms said it will allow rival artificial intelligence chatbots to access WhatsApp in Europe for a 12-month period, providing paid access through the WhatsApp Business API. The announcement is framed as a response to the European Commission's regulatory proceedings and aims to reduce the immediate need for interim antitrust measures after several AI developers complained they had been blocked from the messaging service.
The change follows a restriction Meta imposed on January 15 that limited AI chatbot access to only its own Meta AI assistant on WhatsApp. The European Commission had previously warned it might order temporary remedies to avoid potential serious and irreparable harm to competitors after the company prevented other AI providers from integrating with the messaging app. Italian competition authorities took comparable action in December.
A Meta spokesperson said, "For the next 12 months, we\'ll support general purpose AI chatbots using the WhatsApp Business API in Europe in response to the European Commission\'s regulatory process. We believe that this removes the need for any immediate intervention as it gives the European Commission the time it needs to conclude its investigation."
The Commission said it is analysing how Meta\'s announced changes may affect both its review of interim measures and its wider antitrust investigation. Officials have not announced an outcome, and the regulator\'s assessment is ongoing.
Meta has previously argued that a surge of chatbot activity on its platforms places strain on its systems and noted that alternative distribution channels are available for AI providers. The company identified app stores, search engines, email services, partnership integrations and operating systems as other routes for AI services to reach users.
In January, following a directive from Italy\'s antitrust watchdog, Meta permitted rival chatbots to operate on WhatsApp in Italy; that probe remains active. Separately, Meta said the same policy updates will take effect in Brazil after a court reinstated an injunction issued by the country\'s antitrust authority that another court had suspended in January. Meta described the Brazilian matter as similar to the EU and Italian cases.
Not all complainants welcomed Meta\'s concession. The Interaction Company of California, maker of the Poke.com AI assistant and a formal complainant to both EU and Italian regulators, urged the European Commission to impose an interim order on Meta. Its CEO, Marvin von Hagen, argued that Meta\'s approach substitutes one barrier for another by introducing pricing that, in his view, makes operating on WhatsApp as unworkable as an outright ban. He said the pricing is "vexatious" and effectively prevents competition on the platform.
The dispute puts several market dimensions in focus. Messaging services and AI providers are directly affected by the access terms and any fees imposed. Regulators in multiple jurisdictions are actively assessing whether Meta\'s conduct harms competition, and those reviews will determine whether temporary remedies or longer-term interventions are required.
Legal and market developments to watch
Regulators will continue to examine whether Meta\'s temporary concession alleviates concerns about exclusionary conduct, and complainants remain sceptical that paid access will be a workable remedy. The EU Commission\'s pending analysis will shape whether interim measures are needed while the broader antitrust probe proceeds.