The European Commission formally charged Meta Platforms with breaching EU antitrust rules on February 9, 2026, by blocking third-party AI assistants from accessing WhatsApp's approximately 3 billion users worldwide. The charges mark an escalation in regulatory scrutiny as Brussels signals it may impose rare interim measures to force Meta to restore competitor access while the full investigation continues.
Meta implemented a controversial policy change on January 15, 2026, that effectively restricts WhatsApp Business Solution access to only Meta AI, the company's proprietary assistant. The policy update, first announced in October 2025, prevents rival AI services including ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other assistants from operating through WhatsApp's business infrastructure, which companies use to communicate with customers.
The European Commission issued Meta a Statement of Objections, the formal step in antitrust proceedings outlining preliminary findings of competition law violations. EU Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera stated the case fundamentally concerns preserving market fairness amid rapid technological change. "We must protect effective competition in this vibrant field, which means we cannot allow dominant tech companies to illegally leverage their dominance to give themselves an unfair advantage," Ribera said in the announcement.
The Commission views WhatsApp as a critical distribution channel for AI services reaching European consumers. By limiting access to only Meta AI, regulators argue the policy creates barriers to entry and causes "serious and irreparable harm" to smaller AI companies attempting to compete in the rapidly growing assistant market. The exclusion prevents these competitors from reaching users at scale, particularly in markets where WhatsApp dominates messaging.
Interim measures represent a rarely deployed regulatory tool allowing the EU to require companies to suspend potentially anticompetitive behavior before investigations conclude. If imposed, Meta would need to restore third-party AI assistant access under terms that existed before the October 2025 policy change. The mechanism was revived in 2019 by former Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager in a case against chipmaker Broadcom and remains an extraordinary intervention reserved for situations requiring urgent action.
Meta defended its policy, stating there is no reason for EU intervention. "There are many AI options and people can use them from app stores, operating systems, devices, websites, and industry partnerships," a Meta spokesperson said. "The Commission's logic incorrectly assumes the WhatsApp Business API is a key distribution channel for these chatbots." The company argues users have abundant alternatives for accessing AI assistants beyond WhatsApp.
The case adds to Meta's growing European regulatory challenges. In 2025, U.S. tech giants faced multiple billion-dollar fines from EU regulators. Meta paid 200 million euros in April for violating data protection rules. Apple received a 500 million euro penalty the same month for anti-steering violations. Google paid the largest fine at 2.95 billion euros in September for online advertising antitrust violations.
If ultimately found in violation of EU antitrust rules, Meta could face fines reaching up to 10 percent of global annual revenue. The Commission has not finalized decisions on interim measures, and Meta retains rights of defense before any emergency actions take effect. The antitrust investigation remains active with no announced timeline for completion. The final outcome depends on Meta's formal response addressing the Commission's objections before regulators impose penalties or corrective measures.
