The European Commission has escalated its scrutiny of major technology platforms by formally notifying Meta of suspected breaches of EU competition rules. The move centres on policy changes affecting artificial intelligence assistants within WhatsApp, a platform the Commission considers critical for reaching consumers.
The Commission sent a Statement of Objections to Meta, alleging breaches of EU antitrust rules linked to changes in policy on the WhatsApp messaging platform. According to the Commission, these changes exclude third-party artificial intelligence assistants, limiting competition in the rapidly expanding AI assistant market.
Commission procedural step: Statement of Objections
On 15 October last year, Meta announced an update to the WhatsApp Business Solutions Terms. The update effectively prohibited access for third-party general-purpose AI assistants.
From 15 January 2026, Meta AI became the only AI assistant available on WhatsApp, with competing assistants excluded from the platform. The Commission assesses that this change may breach EU competition rules and risks causing serious and irreversible harm to the market.
Preliminary competition assessment and market dominance concerns
As part of its investigation, the European Commission has preliminarily concluded that Meta holds a dominant position in the consumer communications applications market, particularly through WhatsApp.
Based on this preliminary view, the exclusion of third-party AI assistants may constitute an abuse of this position. The Commission considers WhatsApp to be a critical entry point for general-purpose AI assistants seeking to reach consumers. The institution warns of risks linked to the creation of market entry barriers and the marginalisation of smaller competitors.
Legal status of the investigation and next procedural steps
The sending of the Statement of Objections does not prejudge the outcome of the investigation. It provides Meta with the opportunity to respond to the concerns raised by the European Union’s executive arm.
The Commission is examining the possible imposition of interim measures aimed at preventing serious damage to competition. An exception applies in Italy, where the Italian Competition Authority has already imposed interim measures on Meta since December 2025.