Meta Stock Faces EU Antitrust Charges Over WhatsApp AI Policy

TLDR

• European Commission charged Meta with breaking antitrust rules by blocking rival AI assistants from WhatsApp starting January 15
• EU plans to impose interim measures forcing Meta to restore third-party AI access to WhatsApp while investigation continues
• Meta banned third-party AI chatbots from WhatsApp Business API in October, with policy taking effect in January 2025
• EU Commissioner Teresa Ribera said swift action needed to prevent irreparable harm to competition in fast-moving AI markets
• Meta defends policy, saying WhatsApp Business API isn’t a key distribution channel for AI chatbots with many alternatives available

The European Commission hit Meta Platforms with antitrust charges Monday over its decision to block competing AI assistants from WhatsApp. The move could force the company to reverse course.

EU regulators sent Meta a statement of objections. The charge sheet accuses the tech giant of violating competition rules by allowing only its Meta AI assistant on the messaging platform.

Meta Platforms, Inc., META

The policy change took effect on January 15. Meta implemented the update after announcing changes to WhatsApp Business Solution Terms in October.

EU Threatens Interim Action

The Commission said it plans to impose interim measures against Meta. These emergency actions would prevent serious and irreparable harm to the market while the investigation proceeds.

Teresa Ribera, the EU’s Commissioner for Competition, explained the urgency. “AI markets are developing at rapid pace, so we also need to be swift in our action,” she stated.

The interim measures would require Meta to restore third-party AI access to WhatsApp. Access would return to terms that existed before the policy change.

A Commission spokesperson confirmed the details to CNBC. The emergency action aims to preserve market competition during the ongoing investigation.

Meta pushed back against the EU’s position. A company spokesperson called the intervention unnecessary.

Meta claims the Commission’s logic is flawed. The company said WhatsApp Business API shouldn’t be considered a key distribution channel for AI chatbots.

The charges come as Meta faces growing regulatory pressure in Europe. Big tech companies paid billions in EU fines during 2025.

Apple received a 500 million euro penalty in April for anti-steering violations. Meta itself was fined 200 million euros the same month for breaching data protection obligations.

Google faced the largest penalty. The search giant paid 2.95 billion euros in September for antitrust violations related to online advertising.

The final decision on interim measures depends on Meta’s response. The company has rights of defense before any emergency action takes effect.

The investigation remains ongoing. The Commission hasn’t set a timeline for completing its antitrust review of Meta’s WhatsApp AI policy.

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