EU Orders Meta to Stop Blocking Rival AI Chatbots on WhatsApp

The European Commission has issued an interim measure ordering Meta to stop blocking access to rival AI chatbots within WhatsApp. This follows an investigation into whether Meta's policy of restricting the WhatsApp Business API to exclusive use of its own Meta AI constitutes a potential antitrust violation.

In October 2025, Meta introduced a policy banning API access for third-party AI chatbots. Previously, businesses were able to send messages such as order notifications through various AI assistants, but this policy made Meta AI the only available option.

The EU issued this measure for the following reasons:

• Meta is abusing its dominant position in the European messaging app market
• The cost of the paid access option proposed by Meta is excessively high
• Urgent action is needed to prevent permanent harm to the market before the investigation is completed

Meta stated that it plans to appeal the decision, calling it regulatory overreach. This order will remain in effect until the EU's antitrust investigation is completed.