EU Orders Meta To Open WhatsApp To Rival AI Chatbots
(Tuesday June 09, 2026 @11:30PM (BeauHD)
from the EU-vs-Big-Tech dept.)
- Reference: 0183721352
- News link: https://meta.slashdot.org/story/26/06/09/1958236/eu-orders-meta-to-open-whatsapp-to-rival-ai-chatbots
- Source link:
The European Commission has [1]ordered Meta to [2]temporarily restore free WhatsApp Business API access for rival AI chatbots while it investigates whether Meta's ban on third-party assistants abuses its dominant position. Meta says it will appeal, calling the move "regulatory overreach" that would let major AI companies use a paid WhatsApp product for free. The BBC reports:
> The EU said it began its investigation, [3]in December 2025 , after Meta banned third-party general-purpose AI assistants from the WhatsApp for Business API. It said that appeared to be an abuse of Meta's dominant position in European markets. So, as an interim measure as its investigation continues, it has given Meta five working days to re-instate access for third-party general-purpose AI assistants to the WhatsApp for Business API under the same terms and conditions that were in place previously.
>
> "In rapidly evolving markets, competition can be lost long before a final decision is adopted," said Teresa Ribera, the Commission's executive vice-president for clean, just and competitive transition. "This is why these interim measures will remain in place for the duration of the investigation." She added the decision "preserved choice for citizens across Europe on the AI assistants they want to use with WhatsApp, without that decision being made for them." The Commission said if Meta failed to comply with its interim decision it could be fined up to 10% up of its total turnover.
"The European Commission has decided that OpenAI and some of the largest companies in the world can use the paid-for WhatsApp Business product for free," it said in a statement.
"This is regulatory overreach subsidized by the many European companies that pay. We will appeal."
[1] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_26_1276
[2] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8qj8wjgxwo
[3] https://yro.slashdot.org/story/25/12/04/181250/eu-hits-meta-with-antitrust-probe-over-plans-to-block-ai-rivals-from-whatsapp
> The EU said it began its investigation, [3]in December 2025 , after Meta banned third-party general-purpose AI assistants from the WhatsApp for Business API. It said that appeared to be an abuse of Meta's dominant position in European markets. So, as an interim measure as its investigation continues, it has given Meta five working days to re-instate access for third-party general-purpose AI assistants to the WhatsApp for Business API under the same terms and conditions that were in place previously.
>
> "In rapidly evolving markets, competition can be lost long before a final decision is adopted," said Teresa Ribera, the Commission's executive vice-president for clean, just and competitive transition. "This is why these interim measures will remain in place for the duration of the investigation." She added the decision "preserved choice for citizens across Europe on the AI assistants they want to use with WhatsApp, without that decision being made for them." The Commission said if Meta failed to comply with its interim decision it could be fined up to 10% up of its total turnover.
"The European Commission has decided that OpenAI and some of the largest companies in the world can use the paid-for WhatsApp Business product for free," it said in a statement.
"This is regulatory overreach subsidized by the many European companies that pay. We will appeal."
[1] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_26_1276
[2] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8qj8wjgxwo
[3] https://yro.slashdot.org/story/25/12/04/181250/eu-hits-meta-with-antitrust-probe-over-plans-to-block-ai-rivals-from-whatsapp
Anti-trust laws being enforced! Such a bother! (Score:3)
by gweihir ( 88907 )
How are the billionaires supposed to get even richer with that crap slowing them down?
No chatbot option (Score:2)
by devslash0 ( 4203435 )
What I'd like to see instead is an option to set chatbot to None.
Split up Meta? (Score:2)
by Charlotte ( 16886 )
> Meta says it will appeal, calling the move "regulatory overreach" that would let major AI companies use a paid WhatsApp product for free.
If Meta split off Whatsapp, then it would no longer be obligated to provide equal access. Problem solved!
Missing the woods for the trees (Score:1, Troll)
With the EU everything is a "competition" issue and requires "opening up".
I'm surprised they haven't demanded the Mafia allow rival protection rackets to compete with them.
Re:Missing the woods for the trees (Score:5, Funny)
The Mafia is protected under "cultural heritage" .
Re: (Score:1)
I'm still waiting for the first company to pull the trigger and exit the Euro market.
Re:Missing the woods for the trees (Score:4, Informative)
And lose a major share of their revenue? Not going to happen. They rather make two versions, one for the EU and one for the suckers.
Re: (Score:2)
EU should just order META split up as an illegal garbage monopoly.
Re: (Score:2)
Just like the US did with tiktok...
Re: (Score:3)
I'm sure plenty have but that's not the point here. Did you seriously read what I wrote and think I was supporting the dumbfuck "REgLatiONs aRE dESTroyING buSInessES" viewpoint?
Here a bunch of people want to do bad things on a platform whose owner wants to be the sole person doing those bad things on.
What the EU should have said: Facebook are banned from sticking AI Shit with all of its implications on what's supposed to be a private chat platform.
What the EU did: Everyone is allowed to stick AI shit on the
Re: (Score:1)
yeah aye, i was thinking the same, "how about keep them all the fuck out of human to human conversation platforms."
Re: (Score:1)
This is going to end up with europe having third rate software compared to everywhere else. All just to try to stick it to the US. Good times.
Re: (Score:2)
No, it's going to result in Europe having the same third rate software as everyone else. Did you not read even the summary?
Re: (Score:2)
Actually it is more likely they will sell services or supply the software etc to other countries.
Why wouldn't they ?
There really plenty of countries who would like digital sovereignty , because they all know about the US cloud act that says "What is mine is mine, what is yours is mine too"
The biggest loser in all of this is the USA. Remember the USA makes up just 4% of the world's population and that population relies on pillaging the resources of other countries to make its self rich.... but times