EU warns of possible antitrust action against Meta

Brussels says Meta may be abusing its dominance by blocking rival AI chatbots from WhatsApp Business, raising competition concerns across the EU digital market.

The European Union has warned it may take enforcement action against Meta, accusing the US technology giant of restricting competition by preventing rival artificial intelligence chatbots from operating on WhatsApp.

On Monday, the European Commission said that recent changes to WhatsApp Business appear to breach EU antitrust rules. Regulators argue that Meta is abusing its dominant position in the messaging market by limiting access to its platform.

WhatsApp Business Upgrade Under Scrutiny

Following an update rolled out in October, Meta AI became the only AI assistant permitted on WhatsApp. Competitors’ chatbots are no longer able to integrate with WhatsApp Business, the version of the app used by companies to communicate with customers.

According to the Commission, Meta’s policy effectively blocks other AI developers from reaching consumers through what it describes as a critical “entry point” to the European market. Officials warned that this conduct could cause “serious and irreparable harm” to competition.

The Commission highlighted that services such as ChatGPT rely on widespread platforms like WhatsApp to scale and access users.

EU Says Meta Is Abusing Market Power

EU regulators say Meta holds a dominant position in the EU messaging sector and is “refusing access to WhatsApp to other businesses” in order to favor its own AI products.

Teresa Ribera, the EU’s competition commissioner, told Bloomberg that enforcement is necessary to protect fair competition.

“It is very obvious that we need to defend, implement and enforce our rules, to defend our market and ensure a well-functioning market,” Ribera said.

Rising Tensions Between the EU and the US

The warning comes amid increasing political friction between Brussels and Washington over the regulation of American technology companies. The administration of Donald Trump has criticised EU competition enforcement, calling it discriminatory against US firms.

In December, the US imposed sanctions on former EU commissioner Thierry Breton and four other European figures, accusing them of censorship and suppressing American viewpoints. Breton is challenging the sanctions, with the Commission confirming it will support his case.

Ribera rejected suggestions that EU action against Meta is politically motivated.

“This is not connected to politics, but to well-functioning markets,” she said.

Meta Pushes Back Against EU Claims

Meta strongly disputed the Commission’s position. A spokesperson said there is no justification for EU intervention in the WhatsApp Business API, arguing that AI chatbots can reach users through multiple alternative channels.

“The Commission’s logic incorrectly assumes the WhatsApp Business API is a key distribution channel for these chatbots,” Meta said, adding that users can access AI tools through apps, websites, devices and partnerships.

Similar Case Emerges in Brazil

Last month, Brazilian authorities launched a comparable investigation into WhatsApp Business, citing potential anti-competitive practices linked to its AI integration. That case was later suspended after Meta argued the claims were “fundamentally wrong”.

Meta also said that allowing multiple AI chatbots on WhatsApp Business could overload systems that were “not designed for this type of support”.