The European Union has escalated its antitrust scrutiny of Meta Platforms, warning that it may impose interim measures over the company’s decision to block rival artificial intelligence (AI) services from operating on WhatsApp.
The move marks one of the strongest regulatory signals that Brussels is prepared to act swiftly to curb practices it believes could distort competition in fast-growing digital markets.
In a statement released on Monday, the European Commission said it had formally charged Meta with breaching EU competition rules by restricting access to WhatsApp’s ecosystem.
According to the Commission, Meta’s policy change implemented on January 15 allows only its in-house AI assistant, Meta AI, to function on WhatsApp, effectively shutting out competing AI developers.
The Commission, which serves as the EU’s antitrust watchdog, said it had issued a “statement of objections” to Meta, outlining its preliminary view that the company’s conduct violates competition law. This document forms the basis of the case against the U.S. tech giant and gives Meta the opportunity to respond before a final decision is reached.
“The Commission therefore intends to impose interim measures to prevent this policy change from causing serious and irreparable harm on the market, subject to Meta’s reply and rights of defence,” the EU executive said.
This suggests regulators are concerned that waiting for a full investigation, often a process that can take years, could allow Meta to cement an unfair advantage in AI-driven services.
At the heart of the dispute is the Commission’s concern that Meta’s policy could cause immediate and lasting damage to competition.
By leveraging WhatsApp’s massive user base, running into the hundreds of millions across Europe, regulators argue that Meta may be unfairly favouring its own AI services while denying rivals a critical route to market.
