The EU Commission strikes: Is Meta closing competitors out of Whatsapp?

The European Commission gave on Monday metals interim notification that the company is likely to abuse its dominant position by preventing other companies, such as third-party AI assistants, from accessing Whatsapp. According to the Commission, this could permanently crowd out smaller competitors by preventing them from entering or expanding into the fast-growing AI assistant market.

The background is Meta’s announcement last October about updating the Whatsapp Business Solution terms, as a result of which third-party general-purpose artificial intelligence assistants were practically banned from the application. As a result, starting January 15, 2026, the only AI assistant available on Whatsapp is Meta’s own Meta A!.

The Commission has informed Metal that the company’s practice appears to be a preliminary violation of EU competition rules.

Meta’s key products are Facebook and Instagram, as well as consumer communication applications such as Whatsapp and Messenger. In addition, Meta offers online marketing services and virtual and augmented reality products. The company also has a general-purpose artificial intelligence assistant, Meta Ai.

According to the commission, Whatsapp is an important channel through which general-purpose artificial intelligence assistants reach consumers.

The Commission intends to impose temporary measures to prevent damage to competition, unless Meta proves otherwise in its response.

“The artificial intelligence market is developing quickly, so we also need to act quickly. That’s why we are considering quick interim measures against Meta, so that competitors’ access to Whatsapp is maintained during the investigation, and so that Meta’s new practice does not cause irreversible damage to competition in Europe,” says the vice-president of the Commission Teresa Ribera.

In December 2025, the Commission launched an investigation into the matter. According to the commission, sending a notification about temporary measures does not predict the outcome of the investigation, and Metal now has the opportunity to respond to the concerns raised by the commission.