Orders Meta to restore WhatsApp access for rival AI chatbots

EU regulators ordered Meta to restore WhatsApp access for rival AI chatbot makers on interim grounds as EU antitrust scrutiny continues. The European Commission argued that blocking third-party AI assistants from the platform undermines competition in the emerging AI assistant market, even as Meta plans an appeal. The Commission noted that OpenAI and other large players could use WhatsApp Business without charge under the interim measure, a point Meta contested as regulatory overreach. Teresa Ribera, the EU competition chief, stressed timely intervention, while regulators previously examined updated terms that restricted rivals from offering AI services through WhatsApp for business customers.