Podcast Episode
The Commission issued a statement of objections accusing Meta of abusing its dominant market position by allowing only its own Meta AI chatbot on WhatsApp while excluding competitors such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other general-purpose AI assistants.
The Commission indicated it may now implement interim measures to force Meta to reverse the policy while it prepares its defence, a rarely used regulatory tool that underscores the urgency officials attach to the case.
Teresa Ribera, the EU's executive vice-president for competition, stated the action would prevent dominant tech companies from illegally leveraging their dominance to gain an unfair advantage.
EU Charges Meta With Antitrust Violations Over WhatsApp AI Lockout
February 9, 2026
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The European Commission has formally charged Meta with breaching antitrust rules by blocking rival AI assistants from WhatsApp, threatening interim measures to reverse the ban. The action follows Meta's January policy change making Meta AI the only general-purpose chatbot available to WhatsApp's three billion users.
EU Drops the Hammer on Meta
The European Commission on Monday formally charged Meta Platforms with breaching EU antitrust rules by blocking rival artificial intelligence assistants from WhatsApp, marking a major escalation in the battle over AI access on the world's most popular messaging platform.The Commission issued a statement of objections accusing Meta of abusing its dominant market position by allowing only its own Meta AI chatbot on WhatsApp while excluding competitors such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other general-purpose AI assistants.
The Policy That Sparked a Global Backlash
The charges stem from Meta's updated WhatsApp Business Solution Terms, which took effect on 15 January 2026 and prohibit AI providers from using the WhatsApp Business API when artificial intelligence is the primary service offered. The policy effectively made Meta AI the sole general-purpose AI assistant available to WhatsApp's roughly three billion users worldwide.The Commission indicated it may now implement interim measures to force Meta to reverse the policy while it prepares its defence, a rarely used regulatory tool that underscores the urgency officials attach to the case.
A Global Regulatory Response
The EU action follows parallel enforcement in other countries. Italy's antitrust authority ordered Meta in December to suspend the policy within its borders, prompting the company to exempt Italian phone numbers from the ban. Brazil's competition authority also opened an investigation following complaints from AI companies that alleged Meta employed an "embrace, extend, and extinguish" strategy.Teresa Ribera, the EU's executive vice-president for competition, stated the action would prevent dominant tech companies from illegally leveraging their dominance to gain an unfair advantage.
What Meta Faces
Meta has defended the policy, arguing the Business API was never designed to serve as a distribution platform for third-party AI chatbots and that rival bots placed unsustainable strain on WhatsApp's infrastructure. If found in violation, Meta faces potential fines of up to ten percent of its global annual revenue, which exceeded two hundred billion dollars in 2025.Published February 9, 2026 at 1:16pm