Meta Ordered to Grant Rival AI Chatbots Free WhatsApp Access Du…
Meta Ordered to Grant Rival AI Chatbots Free WhatsApp Access Du…
Publish Date: 2026-06-09 16:22:00
Source Domain: www.pymnts.com
- The European Union’s antitrust regulators have directed Meta Platforms to provide free access to WhatsApp for competing artificial intelligence chatbot developers, including companies like OpenAI.
- Several AI companies, such as The Interaction Company, Agentik, and a Spanish competitor, filed complaints leading the European Commission to launch a formal investigation into Meta’s conduct, particularly the access to the WhatsApp Business API.
- The EU’s competition watchdog subsequently filed formal charges against Meta, accusing it of violating European antitrust rules, with additional accusations in April when Meta introduced fees for API access.
- European Commission Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera criticized Meta’s high fees, stating they made it impossible for competitors to sustain their businesses and suggested Meta intended to foreclose rivals from the platform.
- The ruling requires Meta to grant free access, at least until the investigation concludes or until June 2029, whichever comes first.
- The dispute focuses on Meta’s use of the WhatsApp Business API, where Meta initially blocked API access for rival AI developers to favor its own AI assistant.
- Meta has resisted the order, claiming it will appeal, arguing the decision amounts to regulatory overreach and will be subsidized by current WhatsApp Business API payers.
- Meta suggested that consumers have numerous other channels through which to access AI services but the EU has insisted on the necessity of intervention due to the quickly evolving AI market.
