EU moves to curb Meta’s WhatsApp AI dominance with sanctions

• The European Commission has formally charged Meta with restricting rival AI tools on WhatsApp
• Regulators are considering interim measures to prevent market harm before the case concludes
• The case could force Meta to open WhatsApp to competing AI services

The European Union has escalated its antitrust case against Meta, warning that it could impose temporary measures to stop the company from blocking rival artificial intelligence services on WhatsApp.

In a statement released Monday, the European Commission said Meta’s decision to limit WhatsApp’s AI features to its in-house assistant, Meta AI, may breach EU competition rules by shutting competitors out of one of the world’s largest messaging platforms.

The move signals growing urgency from Brussels as regulators attempt to prevent dominant tech firms from entrenching early advantages in fast-moving AI markets while investigations, often lasting years, play out.

The Commission confirmed it has issued Meta with a “statement of objections,” outlining its preliminary findings and giving the company a chance to respond before a final ruling is reached.

Why regulators are stepping in

According to the Commission, Meta’s January policy change allows only its own AI assistant to operate on WhatsApp, effectively excluding other developers from the platform’s ecosystem.

Regulators warned that this could cause immediate and lasting harm by leveraging WhatsApp’s massive European user base to unfairly boost Meta’s AI services while denying rivals access to a critical distribution channel.

“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.

Read also: WhatsApp Rolls Out First-Ever Apple Watch App

Officials fear that delaying action until the end of a full investigation could allow Meta to cement dominance in consumer-facing AI services before competitors have a chance to compete.

A familiar clash between Meta and EU watchdogs

The latest dispute adds to a growing list of regulatory confrontations between Meta and European authorities over data use, platform dominance, and market fairness.

In April 2025, the Commission found Meta in breach of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), forcing changes to how Facebook and Instagram handle user data for advertising. While Meta announced reforms giving users more control, regulators say those steps have not eased broader concerns.

Under the DMA’s tougher enforcement phase, the EU recently fined Apple €500 million and Meta €200 million over separate violations tied to service integration and data processing.

For Meta, the stakes are high. If interim measures are imposed, the company could be required to reopen WhatsApp to competing AI tools while the case continues. A final ruling could also lead to heavy fines and long-term restrictions.

As the global race to dominate consumer AI accelerates, the outcome of this case could set a precedent for how far large tech platforms can go in embedding proprietary AI tools into core services without crossing competition lines.