EU Targets Meta’s ‘Gatekeeping’ of AI Services on WhatsApp
The European Commission issued a formal statement of objections against Meta Platforms on February 9, 2026, alleging the company is abusing its market dominance to suppress competition in the artificial intelligence sector. Regulators claim Meta’s restrictive WhatsApp policies prevent third-party AI developers from accessing a critical distribution channel, effectively favoring its proprietary Meta AI assistant.
The move marks a significant escalation in the EU’s oversight of Big Tech, with the Commission threatening rare “interim measures” to force immediate policy changes before the full investigation concludes.
Meta WhatsApp AI Antitrust Case: EU Issues Formal Charges
The core of the dispute centers on a policy implemented by Meta on January 15, 2026, which restricts third-party AI developers from utilizing the WhatsApp Business API. This technical barrier ensures that Meta AI remains the primary conversational assistant available to the platform’s billions of users, while rival chatbots are relegated to external web browsers or separate applications.
EU competition regulators argue that this “gatekeeping” behavior stifles innovation by preventing smaller AI startups from reaching consumers where they already communicate. The Commission noted that the rapid pace of AI development requires swift intervention to prevent “serious and irreparable harm” to the competitive landscape.
Impact of WhatsApp Business API Restrictions on AI Startups
For many emerging AI firms, the WhatsApp Business API serves as a vital infrastructure for deploying customer-facing assistants. By cutting off this access, Meta significantly increases the friction for users trying to utilize non-Meta services. Industry analysts suggest that if Meta is allowed to consolidate its AI presence on WhatsApp, it could create a vertical monopoly similar to the mobile app store dominance seen in previous decades.
The European Commission’s investigation, which originally began in December 2025, highlights a growing trend of regulators targeting “ecosystem lock-ins,” where a dominant platform leverages its established user base to capture new technology markets, such as generative AI.
Understanding the Threat of Interim Measures in Antitrust Law
The EU’s threat of interim measures is a high-stakes legal tool seldom used by the Commission. These measures would require Meta to suspend its restrictive API policies immediately throughout the European Economic Area (EEA) while the broader antitrust case continues.
Regulators justify this urgency by pointing to the “winner-takes-most” nature of the AI industry. They contend that if Meta is allowed to dominate the WhatsApp AI interface during the years-long duration of a standard antitrust investigation, competition may be permanently destroyed.
Meta’s Official Response and Defense Strategy
Meta has formally rejected the Commission’s preliminary findings. A spokesperson for the company stated that the WhatsApp Business API is not a “key distribution channel” for AI, noting that consumers have ample choice via web browsers and alternative messaging platforms.
Meta’s legal defense rests on the premise that its API is proprietary intellectual property and that the EU lacks the legal grounds to dictate how private companies manage their internal business tools. The company further argued that its policy does not prevent users from accessing other AI services, but merely manages the integrated experience within its own app.
Wider Context: The Global Battle for AI Distribution
This case is part of a broader global movement to regulate the intersection of social media and artificial intelligence. As Google, Microsoft, and Meta integrate AI into their core products, regulators are increasingly concerned that distribution power, rather than the quality of the AI model, will determine market winners. The EU’s action follows similar inquiries into the partnerships between Big Tech and AI firms in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
Impact & What’s Next
Meta now has the right to respond to the statement of objections and request an oral hearing to defend its position. If the European Commission is not satisfied with the response, it may proceed with the interim measures, forcing Meta to open its API to rivals.
Failure to comply with eventual final rulings could result in fines of up to 10% of Meta’s global annual turnover. The outcome of this case will likely set a global precedent for how AI services are integrated into dominant social platforms and whether “platform neutrality” will be enforced in the age of generative AI.
