The European Commission has warned Meta that it may have breached EU antitrust rules by excluding third-party artificial intelligence (AI) assistants from WhatsApp. According to the Commission, the move risks shutting competitors out of a fast-growing and strategically important market.
In a Statement of Objections sent to Meta, the Commission sets out its preliminary view that the company’s conduct could amount to an abuse of dominance. The Commission has also indicated that it may impose interim measures to prevent the policy from causing serious and irreversible harm to competition, pending the outcome of the investigation.
Meta is active across a wide range of digital markets, including social networks such as Facebook and Instagram, messaging services such as WhatsApp and Messenger, online advertising, and virtual and augmented reality products. It also offers its own general-purpose AI assistant, Meta AI.
The case focuses on a change announced by Meta on 15 October 2025 to its WhatsApp Business Solution Terms. That update effectively banned third-party general-purpose AI assistants from operating on WhatsApp. As of 15 January 2026, Meta AI became the only AI assistant available on the platform, while rival services were excluded.
At this stage, the Commission considers that Meta is likely to hold a dominant position in the European Economic Area market for consumer communication applications, notably through WhatsApp. It also takes the preliminary view that Meta may be abusing this position by denying access to an essential channel for reaching users.
According to the Commission, WhatsApp represents a key entry point for AI assistants seeking to reach consumers. Excluding competing assistants could therefore raise barriers to entry, limit choice, and permanently weaken smaller rivals in a market that is still taking shape.
“There is a real risk that Meta’s new policy could irreversibly marginalise competitors,” the Commission noted, stressing the need for swift intervention in light of the rapid development of AI markets.
Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera highlighted the broader stakes of the case, stating:
“Artificial intelligence is bringing incredible innovations to consumers, and one of these is the emerging market of AI assistants. We must protect effective competition in this vibrant field.”
She added that dominant technology companies cannot be allowed to use their market power to give their own services an unfair advantage, and that interim measures may be necessary “to preserve access for competitors to WhatsApp while the investigation is ongoing.”
The Statement of Objections concerns the entire European Economic Area, with the exception of Italy, where the Italian Competition Authority had already imposed interim measures on Meta in December 2025.
The investigation is based on Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which prohibits the abuse of a dominant position. Under EU law, the Commission may impose interim measures where there is prima facie evidence of an infringement and an urgent need to prevent serious and irreparable harm to competition.
The opening of proceedings and the sending a Statement of Objections do not prejudge the final outcome of the case. Meta now has the opportunity to review the evidence, submit written observations, and request an oral hearing before the Commission reaches a final decision.