EU probes Meta after WhatsApp kicked rival AIs off platform
Summary
The European Commission has opened an antitrust investigation into Meta after WhatsApp changed its Business Solution terms to bar rival AI chatbots from using the platform as their primary service. The October 2025 update prevents AI providers from “providing, delivering, offering, selling, or otherwise making available” general-purpose chatbots via the WhatsApp Business API; the rule takes effect for existing providers on 15 January 2026.
The change prompted major exits: OpenAI directed users to the ChatGPT app (more than 50 million people used ChatGPT on WhatsApp), and Microsoft pulled Copilot from WhatsApp. The Commission says the policy risks blocking competitors while leaving Meta’s own consumer-facing Meta AI available on the platform. WhatsApp has defended the move, citing capacity constraints and denying anticompetitive intent. The probe will assess whether the policy amounts to abuse of dominance by crowding out rival AI providers.
Key Points
- WhatsApp updated Business Solution terms in October 2025 to prohibit third-party AI chatbots being the primary service offered via its business API.
- OpenAI and Microsoft removed their chatbots from WhatsApp after the policy change, affecting millions of users (OpenAI cited >50m users on WhatsApp).
- The EU opened an antitrust probe because the rule could disadvantage competitors while Meta’s own AI remains accessible on the platform.
- WhatsApp argues technical capacity concerns and denies the Commission’s claims of anticompetitive behaviour.
- The investigation fits a broader EU trend of scrutinising major tech platforms to protect competition and consumers.
- Potential wider implications for businesses using WhatsApp for AI-powered customer interactions and for developers building on WhatsApp’s Business API.
Why should I read this?
Because this is a big deal if you care about where AI assistants live. WhatsApp’s rule change just kicked popular bots off a platform used by millions — and Brussels is sniffing around for antitrust foul play. If you build, sell or rely on chatbots, or watch how platforms shape markets, you’ll want the gist here fast.
Author style
Punchy: the story matters. This isn’t just another policy tweak — it potentially locks a dominant platform into favouring its own AI and reshapes how millions access chat assistants. Read the details if your business, product or regulatory interest touches platforms, AI distribution or competition law.
Context and relevance
The probe is part of a sustained EU effort to rein in the market power of large tech firms and ensure fair competition in digital services. It underscores how platform gatekeeping — here via Business API terms — can affect interoperability, distribution and consumer choice in AI. For organisations using WhatsApp for customer engagement, the change may force migrations to vendor apps or alternative channels, and for regulators it raises questions about how product rules can be used to favour in‑house services.
Source
Source: https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/12/04/eu_probes_meta_whatsapp_ai/