BRUSSELS — The European Commission warned Monday it may impose emergency measures to stop Meta Platforms from blocking rival artificial intelligence assistants from reaching businesses through WhatsApp, Feb. 9, 2026. Regulators say Meta’s new terms would reserve a key WhatsApp gateway for its own Meta AI, potentially shutting competitors out before the case is decided.
The Commission said it has sent Meta a formal antitrust warning known as a statement of objections and has told the company it is weighing interim measures — a rare tool designed to prevent “serious and irreparable” harm while an investigation continues. In its notice about possible interim measures, the EU executive said it wants to keep access open for third-party AI assistants during the probe.
Reuters reported the dispute centers on a policy Meta put into effect Jan. 15 that limits AI assistants on WhatsApp to Meta’s own product. The Commission’s competition arm is assessing whether that amounts to an abuse of dominance by locking rival chatbots out of a service that many companies use to communicate with customers.
Why WhatsApp’s AI gatekeeping matters
WhatsApp’s Business API is a technical doorway used by businesses — from airlines to small retailers — to automate customer chats, often through AI assistants that answer questions or triage requests. If rivals lose that access, the Commission argues, they could lose users and feedback that help improve their tools, while Meta AI gets a built-in advantage inside WhatsApp.
Meta disputes that framing. The company says WhatsApp is not an essential route to market for AI chatbots and that users can reach competing tools through app stores, device operating systems and the open web. In its response to the EU move, Meta said there is “no reason” for intervention and accused regulators of overstating the role of the WhatsApp Business API.
How this WhatsApp case built over time
The Feb. 9 escalation follows months of scrutiny. The Commission opened a formal antitrust investigation in December into Meta’s policy for AI providers seeking access to WhatsApp. Days later, Italy’s competition authority issued its own emergency order. In a Dec. 24 press release, the watchdog told Meta to suspend terms that it said would exclude competing AI chatbots from WhatsApp in Italy and risk “serious and irreparable” harm.
What could happen next for WhatsApp users and businesses
Interim measures, if adopted, would not be a final ruling on whether Meta broke the law. Instead, they would act as a stopgap, potentially requiring Meta to keep the WhatsApp Business API open to third-party AI assistants while the case proceeds.
Meta will have an opportunity to respond to the Commission’s objections, and regulators must weigh the company’s defense before deciding on any emergency order. A final antitrust decision can take months, and potential outcomes range from a requirement to change the policy to fines if wrongdoing is ultimately found. For businesses that depend on WhatsApp for customer support, the near-term question is whether they will be allowed to keep using non-Meta AI tools inside the app as the legal fight plays out.
