The EU has instructed Meta to reinstate access to its WhatsApp AI competitor within five days.

      **TL;DR:** The EU has directed Meta to reinstate WhatsApp access for competing AI assistants within five days due to concerns about "serious and irreparable damage to competition." Meta plans to appeal this decision. There is no deadline for the investigation, and penalties could amount to 10% of the company’s global revenue.

      The European Commission has mandated that Meta “restore free access to WhatsApp for competing general-purpose AI assistants” within a five-day timeframe. This interim measure, announced on Tuesday, aims to avert what the Commission identified as “serious and irreparable damage to competition” in the AI assistant sector.

      Meta stated it would contest the ruling, calling it a decision that allows "OpenAI and some of the largest corporations globally to utilize the paid WhatsApp Business product at no cost."

      **Background:**

      Meta implemented modifications to WhatsApp Business that critics argue unjustly hindered competing AI service providers from utilizing the platform. Although the specifics of these restrictions haven’t been fully disclosed, the Commission deemed them significant enough to warrant interim measures before concluding its investigation.

      Italy’s antitrust authority was the first to delve into the matter, after which the Commission broadened its inquiry to also encompass the Italian market, assuming control over the case.

      **Consequences of Non-Compliance:**

      If Meta does not comply, it risks fines of up to 10% of its worldwide annual revenue, along with daily penalties. While EU penalties rarely reach this maximum, the potential fines are substantial: Meta's projected revenue for 2025 stands at around $187 billion.

      These measures will remain effective throughout the investigation, which has no defined timeline. EU competition chief Teresa Ribera noted, “In rapidly evolving markets, competition can be lost long before a final decision is made.”

      **Meta’s Previous Encounters with EU Regulations:**

      This is not the first time Meta has faced issues with Brussels. In April 2025, the company was fined €200 million for allegedly violating the Digital Markets Act. In November 2024, it was ordered to pay €798 million for linking Facebook Marketplace with its social media network.

      Meta is now under a cumulative regulatory load from DMA enforcement, competition fines, challenges to privacy under GDPR, and this new AI-focused action. Former US President Trump has threatened tariffs and export restrictions in response to European regulations he claims unfairly impact American tech firms.

      **Significance for AI:**

      WhatsApp boasts over two billion users worldwide. For AI companies developing business-oriented assistants, WhatsApp Business provides a distribution avenue that no other messaging service can match in scale.

      Meta contends that it should not be compelled to provide competitors with free access to a paid product. Conversely, the Commission argues that preventing rivals from utilizing an essential platform negatively impacts competition in a nascent market. The interim order signifies that the Commission feels it cannot delay addressing what it views as irreversible harm until a final decision is reached.

      **Uncertainties Remaining:**

      The Commission has yet to fully disclose details of Meta's restrictive policies or identify all affected AI providers beyond OpenAI. The investigation possesses no established deadline, and the imposition of such interim measures is uncommon in EU competition law, indicating the Commission perceives an urgent risk to the market.

      Meta’s appeal will assess whether interim measures can withstand judicial scrutiny while the investigation remains ongoing. If upheld, this would set a precedent, indicating that dominant platforms may not exclude AI competitors from their business services during an investigation, even in the absence of a formal determination of wrongdoing.