The European Commission has issued an urgent order requiring Meta to restore free access to WhatsApp for competing AI services within five working days.
What Happened
According to the regulator's decision, Meta must restore the WhatsApp Business API access conditions that existed prior to October 2025. This interim measure obligates the company to allow third-party developers to integrate their AI chats without additional fees from Meta.
Context
The antitrust investigation was launched in December 2025 due to suspicions that Meta was restricting third-party service access in favor of its own product, Meta AI. This is the first time such interim measures have been applied in the EU in the last 17 years.
Why It Matters for the Industry
The decision demonstrates the EU's aggressive approach to regulating rapidly growing AI markets and aims to prevent the monopolization of the assistant market through dominant messaging platforms. For developers, this opens a direct path to distributing AI agents via WhatsApp, though it creates technical challenges related to API scaling and ensuring stability under high loads.
Why It Matters for Users
European users will soon be able to use their favorite AI services, such as OpenAI, directly within WhatsApp without needing to switch to other apps or pay additional Meta integration fees.
What Is Not Yet Known / Limitations
Technical specialists point to uncertainty regarding API scalability and potential difficulties in managing Quality of Service (QoS) when competing proprietary and third-party solutions coexist.
Sources
Author
Look at AI, Editorial Team