EU orders WhatsApp to grant free access to AI developers amid probe

The European Commission has mandated that Meta's popular messaging service WhatsApp must provide free access to other artificial intelligence developers. This interim measure comes as the EU investigates potential antitrust violations by Meta. The commission stated that competition can be lost quickly in fast-changing markets, emphasizing the need to maintain a competitive landscape in the growing AI assistant market.

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In fast-changing markets, competition can be lost long before a final decision is made.

According to the commission, Meta, which also owns Facebook and Instagram, must implement this order within five business days. The investigation was launched after Meta announced last year that it would restrict access to WhatsApp for AI service providers. The EU had previously warned Meta in April that charging for access would be equivalent to an outright ban, threatening temporary measures.

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This measure will help ensure competition in the growing market for artificial intelligence assistants, keeping the main channel for reaching consumers in Europe – the WhatsApp service – open and allowing artificial intelligence companies to innovate, expand, and fully realize their potential.

The commission stressed the urgency of preventing serious harm to the competitive structure of the general-purpose AI assistant market. Meta's policy changes, it argued, endanger competition at a critical time for market expansion, when smaller and new players could challenge established leaders. If Meta is found to have violated EU competition law, the company could face significant fines.

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It is necessary to urgently prevent the risk of serious damage to the competitive structure in the growing market for general-purpose AI assistants.