The European Union regulators are engaged in a fierce battle with Meta Platforms over the AI approach to WhatsApp by the company.
On 9 February 2026, the European Commission brought antitrust charges against the technology powerhouse claiming that it had breached the antitrust law by excluding rival AI chatbots off its WhatsApp Business API, and warned of faster provisional action to allow rivalry.
The Policy at Heart
The dispute has its roots in the change in policy announced by Meta on 15 January 2026, banning third party AI providers based on use of large language models or generalized assistance systems to use the API where AI forms their central business. The internal Meta AI is exceptional, and still wholly integrated.
This announcement follows an Italian investigation launched in July 2025 and an EU investigation launched in 4 December 2025 following anxiety about a possibly irreversible harm to the burgeoning European AI-based economy.
The Statement,
We must protect effective competition in this vibrant field, which means we cannot allow dominant tech companies to illegally leverage their dominance to give themselves an unfair advantage.
EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera said in a statement.
That is why we are considering quickly imposing interim measures on Meta, to preserve access for competitors to WhatsApp while the investigation is ongoing and avoid Meta’s new policy irreparably harming competition in Europe.
Broader Market Impact
WhatsApp boasts of a user base of 3 billion monthly active users in all parts of the world, with the Business API enabling millions of businesses to carry out their interactions, exchanging about 100 billion messages per day as of late 2025. EU regulators view this API as a gate keeping mechanism especially with the spread of AI chatbots.
The EU could fine Meta up to 10% of its annual global revenue for violating competition laws, which would amount to approximately $20 billion. In 2024, it fined the company €798 million for practices that benefited Facebook Marketplace.
Expert Take
A Meta spokesperson said in an email.
The facts are that there is no reason for the EU to intervene in the WhatsApp Business API. There are many AI options and people can use them from app stores, operating systems, devices, websites, and industry partnerships.
What’s Next?
Meta proclaims an all-encompassing defense plan, which may include settlements or appeals. There are foreseen market tests and hearings, interim instructions may force application of the API by mid-2026.
This would create a precedent in AI integration that would drive up innovation, but add compliance costs, in case followed.