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.
What they are saying
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.
Backstory
Meta’s latest clash with EU regulators comes against the backdrop of intensifying scrutiny of its data and advertising practices across Europe.
In April 2025, the European Commission found Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp in breach of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a landmark regulation designed to rein in the market power of dominant digital platforms, known as “gatekeepers.”
Following the ruling, Meta announced plans to give European Union users greater control over how their personal data is shared for advertising across Facebook and Instagram. The company said EU users would be offered options to limit cross-platform data use, a move disclosed after months of engagement with the Commission.
Regulators have long argued that Meta’s data-driven advertising model gives it an unfair advantage over competitors while raising serious concerns around user privacy and consent.
This commitment, however, has done little to ease regulatory pressure. In a significant milestone for the DMA, the EU recently imposed its first major fines under the new law, signalling a tougher enforcement phase. Apple was hit with a €500 million penalty, while Meta was fined €200 million for violations linked to how it ties services and processes user data.
What you should know
For Meta, the stakes are high. If the Commission proceeds with interim measures, the company could be forced to open WhatsApp to rival AI services while the investigation continues. A final ruling against Meta could also result in significant fines and stricter behavioural remedies.
As the AI race accelerates, the outcome of this case is likely to have broader implications beyond Meta, setting an important precedent for how far dominant digital platforms can go in integrating proprietary AI tools into their core services without breaching competition rules.
