The European Union has launched an antitrust investigation into Meta’s integration of artificial intelligence features in WhatsApp, citing concerns over potential breaches of the bloc’s competition rules. The probe, announced by the European Commission, focuses on a newly introduced Meta policy that may restrict third-party AI providers from offering their services through the messaging platform.
According to the Commission, the policy, announced in October, could prevent competing AI providers from accessing customers through WhatsApp’s business version, while allowing Meta’s own AI service, Meta AI, to remain available to users. This, the EU argues, may constitute an abuse of Meta’s dominant market position, potentially crowding out innovative competitors in the AI space.
EU Competition Chief Teresa Ribera emphasized the need for the bloc to act against dominant digital players that may be exploiting their power to stifle competition. The investigation will examine whether Meta’s policy violates the EU’s antitrust rules, with a view to preventing any potential harm to competition in the AI sector.
The probe covers the European Economic Area, comprising 27 EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, except for Italy, which has launched a separate investigation into Meta. The Italian antitrust authority is investigating whether Meta’s merger of its AI services with WhatsApp may be forcing users to adopt its AI offerings and funnelling its customer base into the emerging market.
The EU’s move is the latest in a series of efforts to regulate big tech companies, amid concerns over their growing influence and potential anti-competitive practices. The investigation highlights the ongoing tensions between the EU and the US over the bloc’s digital laws, which have been criticized by the administration of US President Donald Trump as unfairly targeting American firms.
The outcome of the investigation could have significant implications for Meta and the broader tech industry, as the EU continues to assert its regulatory authority in the digital sphere. As the probe progresses, the EU will be closely monitoring Meta’s compliance with its competition rules, with a view to ensuring a level playing field for all players in the AI market.
