EU Orders Meta to Open WhatsApp to Rivals

ISLAMABAD: (Web Desk)-The European Union has ordered Meta to restore free access to WhatsApp for rival artificial intelligence assistants within five working days as regulators continue an antitrust investigation into the company’s platform practices.

The decision follows an EU probe launched in December examining Meta’s policy changes that restricted access to WhatsApp for third-party AI providers while favoring its own Meta AI services. European regulators believe the restrictions could undermine competition in the rapidly expanding AI assistant market.

European Commission Executive Vice-President for Competition Teresa Ribera said the interim measure is intended to prevent potential harm to competition while the investigation remains ongoing. According to the Commission, Meta must maintain access for competing AI assistants until a final decision is reached.

Brussels argues that limiting access to WhatsApp could give Meta an unfair advantage in the AI sector, making it harder for rival services to reach users. The Commission emphasized the importance of ensuring that emerging AI companies and smaller competitors have an opportunity to innovate and compete on equal terms.

Meta has strongly opposed the order and announced plans to appeal. A company spokesperson described the move as regulatory overreach, arguing that it would effectively provide free access to major competitors, including some of the world’s largest AI firms.

The dispute escalated after the EU warned Meta earlier this year that interim measures could be imposed unless access restrictions were lifted. Meta later proposed a fee-based access model, but European regulators rejected the offer, saying it was effectively similar to maintaining the original ban.

The Commission noted that interim measures are rarely used and are reserved for cases where regulators believe immediate action is necessary to avoid serious and potentially irreversible damage to market competition. The last time the EU imposed such measures was in 2019.

Under the order, Meta is required to restore access under conditions similar to those that existed before the company’s October 2025 policy changes. Failure to comply could expose the company to penalties of up to 10 percent of its global annual turnover.

The case is the latest chapter in an increasingly tense relationship between the EU and major technology companies. Meta is already facing multiple regulatory investigations in Europe, including probes related to child safety, user wellbeing, and compliance with the Digital Markets Act.

As the investigation continues, European officials say their objective is to ensure consumers retain freedom of choice while preventing dominant technology platforms from using their market power to shape the future of AI competition.