Overview
- The European Commission, which on Wednesday expanded its charges, told Meta to remove the fee for third‑party AI access to WhatsApp and warned it may impose interim measures.
- Meta first limited WhatsApp to its own AI in October, then in March allowed rivals only if they paid, a change EU officials say mirrors the original ban and could abuse a dominant position.
- Interim measures would block the fee policy during the investigation and remain until a final decision, with Meta allowed to contest the charges or propose fixes.
- The dispute focuses on WhatsApp Business, where outside chatbots connect with users, and the Commission says fees can shut out smaller providers that need scale to compete.
- Officials frame the case as part of a wider EU push to stop dominant platforms from foreclosing emerging markets such as AI assistants and to preserve open access for new entrants.