EU orders Meta to reopen WhatsApp to rival AI bots within 5 days
Why it matters: Brussels can fine Meta up to 10% of annual turnover if it defies the interim antitrust order.
The European Commission ordered Meta to restore rival AI assistants’ access to WhatsApp within five working days and keep that access in place while the bloc investigates whether the company broke competition rules. The interim order targets Meta’s October 2025 policy change that the EU said effectively shut out third-party AI providers. Brussels rejected Meta’s later proposal to charge for access, arguing the fee worked much like a ban. Meta said it will appeal and called the move regulatory overreach. EU competition chief Teresa Ribera said the measure is meant to prevent serious harm in the fast-growing market for general-purpose AI assistants and preserve room for smaller companies to compete.