EU launches antitrust inquiry into Meta over AI restrictions

EU regulators announced Thursday that they are examining whether Meta’s latest rules for WhatsApp could amount to an abuse of its dominant position in the EEA

The European Commission has launched a formal antitrust inquiry into Meta over concerns that the tech giant may be unfairly restricting competitors who rely on artificial intelligence from accessing WhatsApp’s business features, according to Politico.

EU regulators announced Thursday that they are examining whether Meta’s latest rules for WhatsApp could amount to an abuse of its dominant position in the European Economic Area (EEA). The Commission is scrutinizing a new usage policy that bars AI-based service providers from integrating with the WhatsApp Business Solution if artificial intelligence is central to the service they offer. Per Politico, officials fear Meta’s own AI tools would continue to operate freely on the platform while rivals could be cut off from consumers.

In a statement referenced by Politico, the Commission noted: The Commission is concerned that such new policy may prevent third party AI providers from offering their services through WhatsApp in the European Economic Area.

The executive body warned that limiting access to WhatsApp — one of the most widely used messaging platforms in Europe — could create a competitive disadvantage for emerging AI companies.

While the EU’s investigation will apply across the region, Italy will proceed separately with its own case. Competition authorities in Rome had already opened a similar probe earlier this year, prompting the Commission to exclude Italy from the scope of its process to avoid duplication.

Competition chief Teresa Ribera emphasized the stakes of the inquiry, stating: AI markets are booming in Europe and beyond. We must ensure European citizens and businesses can benefit fully of this technological revolution and act to prevent dominant digital incumbents from abusing their power to crowd out innovative competitors.

Meta, which owns WhatsApp, rejected the EU’s accusations. A spokesperson for the messaging service dismissed the claims as “baseless,” arguing that third-party AI chatbots were placing unexpected strain on infrastructure “that they were not designed to support.” They added that the AI sector is “highly competitive.”