EU Orders Meta to Restore Free WhatsApp API Access in 5 Days, Threatens 10% Fine
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jun 9
EU Orders Meta to Restore Free WhatsApp API Access in 5 Days, Threatens 10% Fine
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jun 9
Summary
Five working days — that is the deadline the European Commission gave Meta to restore third-party AI assistants' access to the WhatsApp Business API on the same terms as before.
The interim order will stay in force while Brussels investigates Meta's December 2025 ban on rival general-purpose AI chatbots, which regulators say may abuse its dominant position and cause irreparable harm to competition.
Up to 10% of global turnover could be at stake if Meta fails to comply, underscoring how unusually aggressive the EU's temporary antitrust measure is.
Meta said it will appeal, calling the decision regulatory overreach that lets companies such as OpenAI use a paid WhatsApp Business product for free.
The clash adds to broader EU-US tech tensions, with Brussels arguing it is protecting consumer choice while American officials and firms say European regulators disproportionately target US platforms.
Will forcing Meta to provide free WhatsApp access create a fair AI market, or just subsidize its biggest competitors?
As Big Tech pulls AI features from Europe, will the EU's aggressive regulation of Meta ultimately stifle the continent's innovation?
Is the EU's emergency order against Meta the start of a global regulatory war against AI gatekeepers?
EU Orders Meta to Restore Free WhatsApp API Access for Rival AI Chatbots: Impact, Challenges, and the Future of Digital Competition (2026–2029)
Overview
In response to Meta's decision to restrict WhatsApp's AI access exclusively to its own AI, blocking rival chatbots from the Business API, the European Commission launched an investigation and issued an interim order on June 9, 2026. This order requires Meta to restore free access for competing AI chatbot developers, aiming to ensure fair competition and innovation in the European digital market. The measure will remain in effect during the investigation or until June 2029, providing immediate relief to competitors and safeguarding user choice, while signaling the EU's commitment to preventing abuse of market dominance in the fast-growing AI sector.