What Happened
- Meta agreed to support rival AI chatbots on WhatsApp in Europe for 12 months starting March 2026, after the European Commission threatened interim measures to prevent serious and irreparable harm to competitors.
- In October 2025, Meta had updated its WhatsApp Business Terms to restrict third-party AI chatbots on WhatsApp, effective from January 15, 2026, which would have blocked AI services from companies like OpenAI, Perplexity, and others.
- The European Commission opened a formal antitrust investigation in December 2025 to assess whether Meta's policy restricting AI provider access to WhatsApp breached EU competition rules.
- The Italian antitrust authority ordered Meta to suspend its restrictions in January 2026, prompting Meta to begin charging developers approximately USD 0.0691 (EUR 0.065) per AI chatbot message in Italy starting February 16, 2026.
- Meta has been designated as a "gatekeeper" under the EU Digital Markets Act since September 2023, imposing additional obligations around interoperability and fair access.
Static Topic Bridges
EU Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Gatekeeper Regulation
The Digital Markets Act, which entered into force on November 1, 2022, and became applicable on May 2, 2023, is the EU's landmark regulation targeting large technology platforms designated as "gatekeepers." A gatekeeper is a platform with significant impact on the internal market, serving as an important gateway between business users and consumers, and enjoying an entrenched and durable position. Six companies were designated as gatekeepers in September 2023: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta, and Microsoft.
- Article 7 mandates interoperability for messaging services — designated messaging platforms (WhatsApp, Messenger) must allow interoperability with rival services upon request and free of charge
- Article 6 imposes obligations including not using data from business users to compete against them and allowing sideloading of apps
- Penalties for non-compliance: up to 10% of annual worldwide turnover for first infringements, up to 20% for repeated violations
- The DMA covers 22 core platform services across the six designated gatekeepers
- The EU can impose interim measures to prevent serious and irreparable harm even before concluding a full investigation
Connection to this news: Meta's concession to allow AI rivals on WhatsApp demonstrates the DMA's practical enforcement power, where the threat of interim measures and massive fines compels gatekeepers to modify business practices even before formal findings of infringement.
Competition Law and Digital Platform Regulation
Competition law (antitrust law) aims to prevent market abuse by dominant firms and promote fair competition. The EU's competition framework under Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) prohibits anti-competitive agreements and abuse of dominant position. In India, the Competition Act, 2002 (amended 2023) and the proposed Digital Competition Bill, 2024 address similar concerns.
- Article 102 TFEU prohibits abuse of dominant position, including tying and bundling of services
- India's Competition Act Section 4 prohibits abuse of dominant position, with the Competition Commission of India (CCI) as the enforcement body
- The 2023 amendments to India's Competition Act introduced provisions for regulation of digital markets, including deal value thresholds
- The proposed Indian Digital Competition Bill takes an ex-ante approach (similar to DMA) rather than the current ex-post enforcement model
- CCI has investigated Google, Meta, Apple, and Amazon for various competition law violations in India
Connection to this news: The EU's proactive enforcement against Meta's WhatsApp AI restrictions offers a template for India's evolving approach to digital platform regulation, particularly as India considers its own ex-ante digital competition framework.
AI Integration in Communication Platforms
The integration of artificial intelligence into messaging and communication platforms represents a significant shift in how digital services are delivered. AI chatbots can perform tasks ranging from customer service to information retrieval, content creation, and transactions. Platform operators who control access to messaging infrastructure effectively become gatekeepers of AI service distribution.
- WhatsApp has over 2 billion users globally and is the dominant messaging platform in India with over 500 million users
- Meta launched its own AI assistant (Meta AI) integrated into WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger
- The restriction of rival AI chatbots while promoting one's own creates a "self-preferencing" concern under competition law
- The EU's AI Act (2024) provides a separate regulatory framework for AI systems based on risk levels
- India's approach to AI regulation remains principles-based, without a comprehensive AI legislation as of 2026
Connection to this news: Meta's attempt to block rival AI chatbots from WhatsApp while promoting its own Meta AI exemplifies the self-preferencing concern that both the DMA and India's proposed digital competition framework seek to address.
Key Facts & Data
- DMA entered into force: November 1, 2022; applicable from May 2, 2023
- Six designated gatekeepers (September 2023): Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta, Microsoft
- DMA penalties: up to 10% of global turnover (first offence), 20% (repeated)
- Meta charged EUR 0.065 per AI chatbot message in Italy after antitrust intervention
- WhatsApp has 2+ billion global users, 500+ million in India
- Meta agreed to 12-month support for rival AI chatbots on WhatsApp in Europe from March 2026
- EU investigation into Meta opened in December 2025