Meta opens WhatsApp to rivals

Meta opened WhatsApp’s Business API to rival AI chatbot providers in Europe on March 5 for 12 months, saying the move was meant to address antitrust concerns raised by the European Commission. The change followed EU warnings that Meta’s earlier policy had shut third-party general-purpose AI assistants out of WhatsApp while leaving Meta AI as the only such assistant on the service in the region. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) Regulators and rival developers then turned to a narrower question: whether access that comes with usage fees is meaningful access at all. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) ### When did this fight over WhatsApp access start? Meta changed its WhatsApp Business Solution Terms on October 15, 2025, and the policy took effect on January 15, 2026, according to the European Commission. The Commission said the change effectively banned third-party general-purpose AI assistants from accessing and interacting with users on WhatsApp in the European Economic Area, leaving Meta AI as the only assistant of that kind on the app. (legal.economictimes.indiatimes.com) The European Commission opened a formal antitrust investigation on December 4, 2025, and on February 9, 2026 sent Meta a Statement of Objections setting out its preliminary view that the company had breached EU competition rules. The Commission said WhatsApp was an important entry point for AI assistants trying to reach consumers and warned that Meta’s conduct risked “serious and irreparable damage” to competition. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) ### What exactly did Meta offer rivals in March? Meta said on March 5 that AI companies would be allowed to offer chatbots on WhatsApp through the Business API in Europe for the next 12 months. The company said the temporary change was intended to support general-purpose AI chatbots in Europe while the Commission continued its review and could remove the need for immediate regulatory intervention. (ec.europa.eu) The revised terms still charged for usage. Reuters, cited by Economic Times, reported that non-template message fees would range from 0.0490 euros to 0.1323 euros depending on the country. Because AI assistants typically generate many back-and-forth messages, that pricing structure became the center of the dispute. (ec.europa.eu) ### Why did Brussels say the remedy was not enough? Teresa Ribera, the EU’s antitrust chief, said on April 15 that “replacing the legal ban with pricing that has a similar effect” did not change the Commission’s preliminary view that Meta’s conduct appeared to abuse a dominant position. The Commission said it intended to order Meta to restore third-party AI assistants’ access to WhatsApp under the same conditions that applied before the October 2025 policy change while the investigation continued. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) The Commission also said the case now covered the entire European Economic Area, including Italy. Italy had previously handled the issue separately after its own competition authority imposed interim measures on Meta in December 2025. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) ### Which rivals showed up to challenge Meta? Meta appeared at a closed hearing in Brussels on May 5 to argue against an EU order that could require it to allow rival AI chatbots onto WhatsApp for free. Reuters reported that Meta lawyer Tim Lamb attended in person, while executives in the United States were expected to follow online. Felix Schlegel, co-founder and chief technology officer of The Interaction Company of California, said ahead of the hearing that Meta was “seeking to monopolize the use of WhatsApp for AI services” by reserving the channel for its own offerings. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) Reuters reported that OpenAI and French startup Simone were also listed as participants, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. ### What is Meta’s defense? Meta said the Commission was trying to let some of the world’s largest companies use a paid WhatsApp Business product for free. A Meta spokesperson said that would mean “a small bakery in France paying to use the service to take croissant orders will be picking up the tab for OpenAI.” (legal.economictimes.indiatimes.com) That argument goes to the heart of the case. Meta says WhatsApp Business is a paid product and that rivals should not be exempt. The Commission’s preliminary position is that a price that deters rival AI assistants can amount to the same competitive harm as an outright ban. ### What happens next in the case? (legal.economictimes.indiatimes.com) The European Commission said on May 5 that it would decide in coming months whether to impose interim measures while the broader antitrust investigation continues. Any such order would determine whether rival AI assistants get access to WhatsApp under pre-October 2025 terms as the case moves forward in Brussels. (legal.economictimes.indiatimes.com)