EU Charges Meta Over WhatsApp AI Policy
EU Raises Antitrust Concerns Over WhatsApp AI
European Union competition regulators have formally charged Meta Platforms with breaching antitrust rules after restricting access to artificial intelligence services on WhatsApp. Officials argue that Meta’s decision to allow only its own assistant, Meta AI, within the messaging app could unfairly shut out rival developers. The European Commission said the policy, which came into force on January 15, may distort competition in the growing market for AI-powered services.
Statement of Objections Issued to Meta
As part of its investigation, the European Commission has issued Meta with a statement of objections, outlining its preliminary conclusions and the ways in which the company may have violated EU competition law. This document marks a significant procedural step and gives Meta the opportunity to review the allegations and submit a formal response before regulators reach a final decision.
Risk of Market Dominance and Interim Measures
According to the Commission, blocking third-party AI tools from WhatsApp could prevent competitors from accessing users on one of the world’s most widely used messaging platforms. This may strengthen Meta’s dominance in both digital messaging and artificial intelligence services. Regulators also warned that interim measures could be imposed to prevent immediate and lasting harm to competition while the case is still under review.
Meta Defends Its AI Strategy
Responding to the warning, Meta rejected the need for regulatory intervention and defended its handling of the WhatsApp Business API. In a statement to Reuters, the company maintained that its approach does not harm competition and argued that the changes are consistent with its broader platform strategy. Any temporary restrictions, EU officials said, will depend on Meta’s response and its rights of defence during the investigation.
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