Meta says it will challenge an EU order that would force free WhatsApp access for rival AI assistants

Meta Platforms said it plans to challenge a European Union order requiring it to provide rival AI chatbot providers with free and unrestricted access to WhatsApp’s Business API, even as the EU’s wider competition probe continues. The company said the decision unfairly benefits competing firms by effectively subsidizing their costs.

The European Commission ordered Meta to comply with interim measures within five working days. Regulators said the step is intended to prevent “irreversible damage” in the still-developing market for AI assistant services that can communicate through popular messaging platforms like WhatsApp.

EU competition chief Teresa Ribera said the interim move would remain in place for the duration of the investigation so that any potential competitive harm is not difficult to reverse later. In the Commission’s view, Meta restricted access for competing AI assistants while continuing to allow access for its own AI offering through WhatsApp-related tools.

According to Meta’s characterization of the order, the EU’s approach gives large AI competitors access to the WhatsApp Business product at no charge, despite Meta’s position that a paid-for service should not be opened for free to rivals during an ongoing inquiry. A Meta spokesperson told Reuters, as quoted in the report, that the Commission’s decision amounted to regulatory overreach and a subsidy “by the many European companies that pay,” adding that Meta would appeal.

The WhatsApp Business API is the set of software tools that allows businesses, and in some cases software providers acting on a business’s behalf, to programmatically send and receive messages on WhatsApp, including automated conversations. That matters in the context of AI assistants because providers can use the API to connect chatbots to real-time messaging workflows, turning an AI model into an agent that can handle customer service, lead management, or other messaging-based interactions.

The EU action also raises the stakes for Meta because competition cases in the bloc can lead to significant penalties. The report says Meta could face fines of up to 10% of its global annual revenue if the Commission ultimately finds it breached EU antitrust rules.

Meta’s immediate decision to challenge the order indicates a willingness to fight on both fronts, complying with the interim timetable while pursuing an appeal rather than waiting for the full investigation to conclude. The situation is also part of a broader regulatory theme in Europe: authorities are increasingly focused on whether dominant digital platforms use control over distribution and communications channels to disadvantage emerging competitors, including AI-focused firms.

Still, key details remain unclear from the available account. The report does not specify the exact scope of what “free and unrestricted access” entails, how the interim measures will work operationally, or what conditions Meta’s competitors can satisfy to connect their AI assistants to WhatsApp systems. It also does not disclose whether Meta’s appeal will seek to suspend the interim measures or how quickly the EU would address the challenge.