EU probes Meta for blocking AI rivals on WhatsApp

Shafaq News – Brussels

The European Commission (EC) opened an antitrust investigation into Meta after the company decided to limit WhatsApp users to its in-house chatbot, Meta AI, TechCrunch said on Thursday.

According to a TechCrunch report, WhatsApp updated its Business API policy in October to ban general-purpose chatbots from companies such as OpenAI, Perplexity, and Poke, a change set to take effect in January. While AI tools used by retailers for customer service will remain permitted, the new rules would prevent outside AI providers from distributing their chatbots through the platform.

In its announcement, the EC warned that Meta’s policy may unlawfully restrict competition by blocking rivals from reaching users across the European Economic Area, while keeping Meta AI fully accessible. TechCrunch quoted EU executive vice-president Teresa Ribera as saying the bloc must “act to prevent dominant digital incumbents from abusing their power to crowd out innovative competitors.”

Meta could face fines of up to 10% of its global annual revenue if found in breach of EU antitrust rules. WhatsApp rejected the allegations as “baseless,” telling TechCrunch that users can access competing AI chatbots through other channels, including app stores, search engines, email, and operating systems.

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