The European Commission has launched an investigation into WhatsApp’s recent policy that restricts third-party AI providers from using its business tools to communicate with users, raising concerns about potential violations of EU competition laws.
WhatsApp’s parent company, Meta, prominently integrates its own AI, Meta AI, across its apps, including WhatsApp. While competing AI providers were previously allowed to offer chatbots within WhatsApp, Meta has recently prohibited third-party AI providers from using WhatsApp’s business tools if AI is the primary service offered.
This new policy will take effect on January 15, resulting in the removal of other AI chatbots from WhatsApp’s platform. Meta’s guidelines do allow businesses to use AI for secondary purposes, such as automated customer support, but severely limit its primary use.
The European Commission stated that if these practices are confirmed, they could constitute an abuse of a dominant market position under EU competition rules. The timeline for the investigation remains unclear, but updates will be provided as the situation develops.
