EU Commission Says WhatsApp Banning Other AI Chatbots May Be Anticompetitive

The European Commission has warned Meta that WhatsApp’s recent decision to block third-party chatbots on the app may be breaching competition rules. The EU regulator is now considering imposing interim measures on Meta to maintain access to other AI assistants while the investigation is ongoing.

Due to a recent update to WhatsApp’s platform policies, third-party AI providers like OpenAI can no longer use WhatsApp Business Solution to interact with consumers. Back in November, OpenAI and Microsoft announced that due to this policy change, the ChatGPT and Copilot Chatbots in WhatsApp would stop working on January 15, 2026, leaving all room to Meta AI. This led the EU Commission to open an investigation on December 4, 2025.

“At this stage, the Commission considers that WhatsApp is an important entry point to enable general-purpose AI assistants reach consumers. There is an urgent need for protective measures due to the risk of serious and irreparable damage to competition,” the EU Commission said today.

As usual with these investigations, the EU Commission is giving Meta some time to respond to its preliminary findings. However, the EU regulator may end up imposing interim measures if it determines that Meta is abusing its dominant position by refusing access to WhatsApp to other businesses.