EU orders Meta to restore access for AI assistants

The European Commission has imposed interim measures requiring Meta to restore access to WhatsApp for rival general-purpose AI assistants while an EU antitrust investigation continues.

The measures require Meta to reinstate access to the WhatsApp Business Solution for third-party AI assistant providers under the same terms that applied before 15 October 2025. Meta must comply within five working days and maintain access until the Commission adopts a final decision.

The Commission opened the investigation in December 2025 after Meta changed the terms of its WhatsApp Business Solution to restrict AI providers from using the service when AI was the primary service offered. In February 2026, the Commission sent Meta a Statement of Objections setting out its preliminary view that the conduct could breach the EU antitrust rules.

According to the Commission, Meta appears at first sight to hold a dominant position in the EEA-wide market for consumer communication applications through WhatsApp. It also said Meta may have abused that position by preventing competing general-purpose AI assistants from accessing and interacting with users on WhatsApp.

Meta revised its policy in March 2026 to allow third-party AI assistants back onto WhatsApp, but introduced a fee that the Commission said was, at first sight, equivalent in practice to the previous ban. The Commission warned that the conduct could harm competition at a critical stage in the development of the market for general-purpose AI assistants.

The substantive investigation remains ongoing, and the interim measures do not prejudge the Commission’s final decision. The Commission said it may impose fines or daily penalty payments if Meta fails to comply.

Why does it matter?

The case shows how the EU competition enforcement is moving into the emerging market for general-purpose AI assistants. WhatsApp is not only a messaging service, but also a major access point for businesses and users. If dominant platforms can limit rival AI assistants’ access to such channels, competition in AI services could be shaped before the market fully matures. The interim measures also signal that the Commission is willing to act quickly where it believes platform conduct may create serious and irreparable harm to competition.

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