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Meta Reportedly Directed to Offer Free WhatsApp Access to Rival AI Chatbots in the EU

Meta Reportedly Directed to Offer Free WhatsApp Access to Rival AI Chatbots in the EU

The EU's decision to issue an interim measure against Meta followed complaints from rival AI chatbot services.

Written by Nithya P Nair, Edited by David Delima | Updated: 10 June 2026 12:41 IST

Meta Reportedly Directed to Offer Free WhatsApp Access to Rival AI Chatbots in the EU

Photo Credit: Reuters

EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera said Meta's fees were so high

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Highlights

EU orders Meta to give rival AI chatbots free WhatsApp access
Meta barred rival AI services from accessing its WhatsApp last year
Meta criticized the EU order

European Union antitrust regulators have directed Meta Platforms to provide competing AI chatbot services with free access to WhatsApp, according to a report. The authorities are investigating allegations that the Mark Zuckerberg-led company may have used its market position to restrict rivals' access to the messaging platform. The European Commission's interim order follows complaints filed by a few companies. Meta barred rival AI services from accessing its WhatsApp for Business in October; it later allowed the competitors to access the platform but levied a fee, and this move drew the Commission's objection.

EU Orders Meta to Provide Free WhatsApp Access to Rival AI Chatbots

As per a Reuters report, the EU has ordered Meta to allow AI chatbots owned by rival companies, including those from OpenAI, to use WhatsApp for free while regulators continue investigating Meta's business practices. The order marks the latest step from the European Commission, and it is taken based on complaints from The Interaction Company, which develops the Poke.com AI assistant, Agentik, and a Spanish rival.

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Their complaints led the European Commission to launch an investigation into Meta in December 2025. Regulators later issued charges against Meta two months later, alleging breaches of EU antitrust rules, and additional charges in April after Meta opened access to the WhatsApp for Business application programming interface but imposed fees.

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Meta barred rival AI services from accessing its WhatsApp for Business application programming interface in October 2025, while exempting its assistant, Meta AI. EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera said Meta's fees were so high that it was not economically sustainable for competitors, and the company's justification failed to convince.

"It seems that Meta expects to leverage the vast reach and likely dominance of WhatsApp to benefit its own AI assistant and to foreclose rivals," Teresa Ribera reportedly said. It is now a critical time. AI markets are developing exceptionally fast, and AI systems are expected to become an important way for consumers all across Europe ‌to access ⁠and use AI," Ribera said.

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The interim order will reportedly last until the investigation concludes or until June 2029, whichever comes first. Meta criticised the Commission Order, and a Meta spokesperson in an email reportedly said that the European Commission is forcing it to provide a paid business service to competitors for free. The company said it plans to appeal the ruling.

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Further reading: Meta, WhatsApp, EU, OpenAI, AI chatbot

Nithya P Nair

Email Nithya P Nair

Nithya P Nair is a journalist with more than five years of experience in digital journalism. She specialises in business and technology beats. A foodie at heart, Nithya loves exploring new places (read cuisines) and sneaking in Malayalam movie dialogues to spice up conversations. More