By Aisha Down
Publication Date: 2026-02-09 13:01:00
The EU has threatened action against social media company Meta, arguing it blocked rival chatbots from using its WhatsApp messaging platform.
The European Commission said on Monday that WhatsApp Business – designed for businesses to interact with customers – appears to be violating EU antitrust rules.
An upgrade to the messaging platform last October means the only AI assistant that can be used on WhatsApp is Meta AI, the agent developed by the US tech giant, which also owns Facebook and Instagram.
The European Commission said Meta is the dominant messaging player in the EU market and is “abusing” that position by “denying other companies access to WhatsApp.”
This position could cause “serious and irreparable damage to the market,” the commission added. It said it “believes WhatsApp is an important entry point” for AI chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT to “reach consumers.”
The warning comes amid increased…
