EU demands Meta open WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots: company criticizes Brussels' antitrust move
Kyiv • UNN
The European Commission will ask Meta to suspend new terms that prohibit rival AI chatbots from using WhatsApp. This is due to concerns that Meta is violating the bloc's antitrust rules.
The European Commission will ask Meta to suspend new terms that prohibit competing AI chatbots from using WhatsApp, reacting to concerns that the American company is violating the bloc's antitrust rules, UNN reports with reference to Politico.
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The EU executive body stated that it had sent Meta a document outlining its concerns about the behavior of the American technology company. Brussels' preliminary opinion is that Meta has violated EU antitrust rules by prohibiting third-party AI assistants from accessing and interacting with users on WhatsApp.
Speaking to Bloomberg after the announcement, European Commissioner for Competition Teresa Ribera emphasized that the EU's decision is not political and is not motivated by a focus on American companies.
"I have the feeling that this is not about politics, but about well-functioning markets and consumer protection," she said, adding that companies abusing their market power is bad news in every geographical area. "It's not good news in Europe. It's not good news in the United States," she noted.
In her statement published earlier, the European Commissioner said that it is crucial to protect innovation in the field of artificial intelligence, which is a rapidly developing industry.
"That's why we are considering quickly imposing interim measures on Meta to preserve competitors' access to WhatsApp while the investigation is ongoing and to avoid Meta's new policy causing irreparable harm to competition in Europe," the EU Commissioner said.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the EU for its antitrust rules, particularly on digital platforms, targeting American companies, and urged the EU to soften its stance amid strained trade relations.
Late last year, the European Commission launched an investigation into WhatsApp Business Solution – a tool for businesses to communicate with customers – following a similar investigation by the Italian antitrust authority. Italy ordered Meta to cease its practices in December, but this measure only applied within the country's borders. Expectations that the European Commission would follow suit were growing.
The investigation focuses on Meta's recently introduced policy that prohibits AI providers from using WhatsApp Business Solution when AI is the primary service offered.
"The European Commission intends to impose interim measures to prevent this policy change from causing serious and irreparable harm to the market, subject to Meta's response and compliance with the right to defense," the statement said.
Meta criticized the European Commission's considerations, which were, in turn, welcomed by competing chatbot providers.
"The facts are that the EU has no grounds to interfere with the WhatsApp Business API," a Meta spokesperson said, adding that several AI options are available to consumers. "The European Commission's logic mistakenly assumes that the WhatsApp Business API is a key distribution channel for these chatbots."
Marvin von Hagen, CEO of Interaction, which provides one of the competing chatbots, praised the European Commission's decision.
"The European Commission's intervention can help provide the necessary protection for companies pushing the boundaries of AI technology, ensuring that success is determined by merit, not market dominance, and that consumers can benefit from real choice and innovative services," he said in a statement.