Overview
- The European Commission on December 4 launched a formal investigation into whether Meta’s new WhatsApp policy unlawfully favors Meta AI by restricting third‑party providers.
- The October policy bars AI vendors whose primary service is AI from using WhatsApp Business, applying to new developers since October 15, 2025 and to existing providers from January 15, 2026.
- The case covers EU countries except Italy, where the national competition authority is running a separate, ongoing probe into Meta’s WhatsApp AI deployment.
- Complaints from startups including Interaction Company’s Poke.com and Luzia argue the rules cut off access to a vital channel for reaching millions of WhatsApp users.
- Meta calls the allegations unfounded and cites technical, privacy and operational concerns; the EU says it may seek provisional measures and fines could reach up to 10% of Meta’s global turnover if abuse is found.