EU Orders Meta to Host Rival AI Chatbots on WhatsApp for Free
· Jess Weatherbed
The European Commission has ordered Meta to restore free access for rival AI chatbots on WhatsApp, while it wraps up an antitrust investigation.…
The European Commission has ordered Meta to restore free access for rival AI chatbots on WhatsApp, while it wraps up an antitrust investigation. It’s a rare emergency measure, only the second time the EU has used this kind of power in over 20 years. The regulator said the move was necessary “to prevent serious and irreparable damage to competition” in the market for general purpose AI assistants.
This all started back in December 2025, when the EU formally launched an investigation into whether Meta was abusing its dominance by blocking third party AI chatbots from its messaging platform. WhatsApp has a huge user base, and cutting off competitors from that audience could give Meta’s own AI assistant an unfair advantage. The interim measure forces Meta to play nice while the full probe continues.
The decision is a big deal for the broader AI landscape. If the Commission eventually rules against Meta, it could set a precedent for how big tech companies have to treat rival AI services on their platforms. For now, Meta has to let those chatbots back in, and we’ll have to wait and see if the final ruling reshapes the rules of the game.