EU Commission forces Meta via emergency order: WhatsApp must open to rival AI chatbots
What it really says
The European Commission issued an interim measures decision on June 9, 2026, requiring Meta to restore free access to the WhatsApp Business API for competing AI assistants within five business days. Background: In October 2025, Meta updated its WhatsApp Business terms of service to ban external AI chatbots from accessing the API - making Meta AI the only chatbot that could function on the platform. Following complaints from The Interaction Company, French startup Agentik, and a Spanish competitor, the Commission opened an investigation in December 2025. In March 2026, Meta offered paid API access, which the Commission deemed economically unfeasible for smaller competitors and classified as a de facto access barrier. The interim measures decision requires Meta to restore the terms and conditions from before October 2025. Non-compliance could trigger fines of up to 10 percent of global annual turnover - industry experts estimate approximately 18 billion euros. The order remains in place until June 2029 or until the investigation concludes. Meta called the measure 'regulatory overreach' and announced it would appeal.
Our assessment
This decision is a milestone for AI competition in Europe - and simultaneously a warning signal. On one hand, it shows that the EU Commission is willing to consistently use its new powers under the Digital Markets Act: for the first time, DMA interim measures are being applied specifically to AI interoperability. This is fundamentally positive for consumers, as it means no single tech corporation can determine which AI assistant is available on a dominant messaging platform. On the other hand, the case reveals a concerning trend: Meta actively tried to favor its own AI assistant and lock out competitors. The fact that a company with over two billion WhatsApp users worldwide uses this market power to control the AI market confirms concerns about power concentration in the AI sector. The fact that the Commission had to resort to interim measures - the strongest available action short of a fine - shows how seriously it views the situation. For consumers, this means: the freedom to choose AI assistants is being protected, but the battle between Big Tech and regulators is far from over.
Relevance for Germany
This decision is significant for Germany for several reasons. WhatsApp is by far the most widely used messenger in Germany - according to Statista, over 60 million Germans use the app daily. If Meta can determine which AI chatbot is available on WhatsApp, it directly affects the information freedom and digital sovereignty of millions of citizens. German businesses that offer customer service via the WhatsApp Business API with their own or third-party AI assistants were directly affected by Meta's blocking. Free API access is particularly important for SMEs, as many small businesses rely on WhatsApp as a customer communication channel. The decision also comes at a fitting time alongside the Bundestag's vote on the KI-MIG: while Germany is building national AI oversight, the EU Commission is setting clear limits on the market power of tech corporations in the AI sector at the European level. For consumers in Germany, this means: they should be able to decide for themselves which AI assistant they use on WhatsApp - not Meta.
Fact check
The primary source is the official European Commission press release (IP/26/1276) dated June 9, 2026, confirming the interim measures decision. Meta's change to WhatsApp Business terms in October 2025 and the subsequent introduction of paid API access in March 2026 are consistently reported by multiple international media outlets, including Engadget, Yahoo Finance, and the specialized publication Concurrences. The complainants - The Interaction Company, Agentik, and a Spanish competitor - are named in the reporting. The potential fine of up to 10 percent of global annual turnover corresponds to DMA provisions and is estimated at approximately 18 billion euros by industry experts. Meta's response - calling the measure 'regulatory overreach' and announcing an appeal - is documented by multiple independent sources.
Source
- • https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_26_1276
- • https://www.concurrences.com/en/bulletin/news-issues/june-2026-ii/the-eu-commission-imposes-interim-measures-ordering-a-big-tech-company-to
- • https://www.engadget.com/2191213/eu-orders-meta-to-stop-blocking-rival-ai-chatbots-on-whatsapp/
- • https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/articles/eu-orders-meta-open-whatsapp-153336799.html