The European Union has escalated its antitrust action against Meta Platforms, signaling it may impose interim measures over the company’s decision to block rival artificial intelligence (AI) services from operating on WhatsApp. The warning marks one of the strongest regulatory signals yet that Brussels is prepared to act swiftly to prevent practices it believes could distort competition in fast-growing digital markets.
In a statement released on Monday, the European Commission confirmed that it has formally charged Meta with breaching EU competition rules following changes to how AI services operate on WhatsApp. Regulators say Meta’s policy, introduced on January 15, allows only its proprietary assistant, Meta AI, to function within the messaging platform, effectively excluding competing AI providers.
Commission Moves Toward Rapid Enforcement
The Commission said it has issued a statement of objections to Meta, outlining its preliminary view that the company’s conduct violates EU competition law. This is a key procedural step that allows Meta to formally respond before a final decision is reached.
However, the EU has gone further by indicating it may impose interim measures — a relatively rare enforcement tool typically reserved for cases where regulators believe delays could cause lasting harm to competition.
“The Commission therefore intends to impose interim measures to prevent this policy change from causing serious and irreparable harm on the market, subject to Meta’s reply and rights of defence,” the EU executive said.
The language suggests regulators are concerned that allowing Meta’s policy to remain in place during a lengthy investigation could enable the company to cement a dominant position in AI-powered services before rivals have a fair chance to compete.
Why WhatsApp Matters in the AI Race
At the centre of the case is WhatsApp’s enormous scale and strategic importance. With hundreds of millions of users across Europe, the platform is considered a critical gateway for digital services. Regulators argue that by restricting access to WhatsApp’s ecosystem, Meta may be unfairly leveraging its dominance in messaging to give Meta AI a significant advantage in the rapidly emerging AI market.
The Commission believes that denying rival AI developers access to WhatsApp could immediately limit consumer choice, reduce innovation, and weaken competition — effects that may be difficult to reverse even if Meta is later found in breach of the law.
From a regulatory perspective, the concern is not just about AI features inside WhatsApp, but about how dominant platforms can use their existing reach to shape entire markets in their favour.
Part of Broader Scrutiny Under the Digital Markets Act
The latest case adds to intensifying regulatory pressure on Meta in Europe, particularly under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). In April 2025, the Commission found Meta Platforms Inc. — the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp — in breach of the DMA, a landmark regulation designed to curb the market power of large digital “gatekeepers.”
Following that ruling, Meta announced plans to give EU users greater control over how their personal data is shared across Facebook and Instagram for advertising purposes. The company said users would be offered clearer choices to limit cross-platform data use, after months of engagement with EU regulators.
Despite these changes, enforcement has continued to tighten. Earlier this year, the EU entered a tougher phase of DMA implementation by issuing its first major fines under the new law. Apple was fined €500 million, while Meta was hit with a €200 million penalty over violations linked to service tying and data processing practices.
Competition, Data, and AI Collide
EU regulators have long argued that Meta’s data-driven business model gives it an unfair advantage over competitors while raising concerns around user privacy, consent, and market dominance. The WhatsApp AI case sits at the intersection of these issues, combining questions of platform power, data access, and AI competition.
As AI becomes increasingly embedded in everyday digital services, regulators are paying closer attention to how large platforms integrate proprietary AI tools into products that already dominate their markets.
The Commission’s willingness to consider interim measures highlights growing concern that traditional enforcement timelines may be too slow to address competitive risks in fast-moving AI markets.
What This Means for Meta and the Tech Industry
For Meta, the stakes are high. If interim measures are imposed, the company could be forced to open WhatsApp to rival AI services while the investigation continues. A final ruling against Meta could also lead to substantial fines and binding commitments on how it integrates AI across its platforms.
More broadly, the case is expected to set an important precedent for how far dominant tech companies can go in favouring their own AI products within core services without breaching competition rules.
As Europe positions itself as a global leader in digital and AI regulation, the outcome of this case could shape how AI-powered services are deployed across major platforms — not just in the EU, but worldwide.
