The European Union has intensified its antitrust action against Meta Platforms, warning that it may impose interim measures over the company’s decision to block rival artificial intelligence services from operating on WhatsApp.
The warning marks one of the strongest signals yet that Brussels is prepared to act swiftly to curb practices it believes could distort competition in fast-growing digital markets, particularly as AI adoption accelerates.
In a statement released on Monday, the European Commission said it had formally charged Meta with breaching EU competition rules by restricting access to WhatsApp’s ecosystem. Regulators claim a policy change introduced on January 15 allows only Meta’s in-house assistant, Meta AI, to operate on the platform, effectively shutting out competing AI developers.
The Commission said it has issued a “statement of objections” outlining its preliminary view that Meta’s conduct violates competition law. This step opens the door for Meta to respond before a final decision is reached.
“The Commission therefore intends to impose interim measures to prevent this policy change from causing serious and irreparable harm to the market, subject to Meta’s reply and rights of defence,” the EU executive said.
Officials indicated that regulators are concerned a lengthy investigation—often spanning several years—could allow Meta to entrench an unfair advantage in AI-driven services by leveraging WhatsApp’s massive user base across Europe.
The latest dispute adds to growing regulatory pressure on Meta in the region. In April 2025, the Commission ruled that the company had breached the Digital Markets Act, a landmark law aimed at curbing the dominance of large digital “gatekeepers.” Following that decision, Meta announced plans to give EU users greater control over how their personal data is shared for advertising across Facebook and Instagram.
For Meta, the stakes are significant. Interim measures could force the company to open WhatsApp to rival AI services while the investigation continues, while a final adverse ruling could bring hefty fines and stricter behavioural remedies.
As competition in artificial intelligence intensifies, the case is expected to set an important precedent for how far dominant digital platforms can integrate proprietary AI tools into core services without breaching EU competition rules.
