EU flags competition concerns over Meta’s WhatsApp AI policy

New Delhi: European Union competition regulators have warned Meta Platforms that it could face interim measures if it restricts rival artificial intelligence services from accessing WhatsApp, as authorities examine whether the company has abused a dominant market position. 

According to Reuters, the European Commission has issued a formal statement of objections outlining suspected breaches of EU competition rules.

The Commission said it is considering temporary steps to prevent what it described as potential serious and irreversible harm to competition while the investigation is under way.

The proposed measures are intended to ensure continued access for competing AI developers to WhatsApp during the probe, reflecting similar action taken by Italy’s competition authority in December.

EU competition chief Teresa Ribera said regulators must safeguard effective competition in the fast-moving AI sector and cannot allow dominant technology companies to use their market position to secure unfair advantages. She indicated that interim steps may be imposed swiftly to maintain access for competitors and to prevent potential harm to competition in the European market while the case proceeds.

Meta has disputed the need for regulatory intervention. A company spokesperson said there are multiple ways for users to access AI services across app stores, operating systems, devices, websites and industry partnerships. The spokesperson also argued that regulators were wrong to treat the WhatsApp Business application programming interface as a crucial distribution channel for chatbots.

The scrutiny follows a policy introduced by Meta in mid-January allowing only its own Meta AI assistant to operate within WhatsApp. The Commission said its final decision on whether to impose interim measures will depend on Meta’s response and its right to defend itself during the proceedings.

The case highlights ongoing tensions between European regulators and major US technology companies, with Brussels continuing to pursue antitrust enforcement despite criticism from Washington. According to Reuters, a Brazilian court last month suspended a similar interim order issued by the country’s competition authority over the same issue.