Observed Signal · Jun 10, 2026 · Policy Update · Source: onlinemarketing.de · Impact: 5/5 · Sentiment: Positive
EU Orders Meta to Reopen WhatsApp to Rival AI Services
The European Commission has ordered Meta to restore free access for third‑party AI assistants to WhatsApp across the EU as interim measures, requiring Meta to implement the change within five working days. The Commission said it fears serious and irreversible harm to competition in the market for universal AI assistants and is continuing an antitrust probe that began in December 2025. Meta had blocked third‑party access to WhatsApp interfaces in October 2025, briefly reopened access in March but introduced a fee, which Brussels views as a de facto continuation of the blockade. The decision forces Meta to revert access to the same conditions that existed before 15 October 2025; violations could trigger fines up to 10% of global turnover and daily coercive penalties. The article also notes separate EU procedures demanding better youth‑protection enforcement on Facebook and Instagram, including a 13‑year minimum‑age rule with fines up to 6% of turnover.
Interim antitrust measures by the European Commission target a major platform (Meta) and directly affect distribution of AI chatbots on a mass messaging channel, set enforcement precedent, and carry multi‑billion‑dollar fine exposure.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- The European Commission ordered Meta to allow third‑party AI assistants free access to WhatsApp in the EU and to implement interim measures within five working days.
- The Commission has been investigating Meta since December 2025 after Meta blocked third‑party access to WhatsApp interfaces in October 2025.
- Meta reopened access in March but introduced a fee, which the Commission regards as a de facto continuation of the restriction; the order requires restoring access to conditions that existed before 15 October 2025.
- Non‑compliance could lead to fines up to 10% of the company's global annual turnover and daily coercive penalties of up to 5% of average daily turnover.
- Separately, the EU is pressing Meta to enforce a minimum age of 13 on Facebook and Instagram, with potential fines up to 6% of annual turnover for violations.
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Related Market Signals & Shifts
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EU forces Meta to reopen WhatsApp to ChatGPT
The European Commission in June 2026 imposed interim antitrust measures requiring Meta to reopen WhatsApp to third‑party AI chatbots, reversing Meta’s 15 January 2026 change to the WhatsApp Business interface that had excluded external bots and left only Meta’s AI. The measures restored access for OpenAI’s ChatGPT on WhatsApp; OpenAI says ChatGPT is again reachable via the US contact +1‑800‑242‑8478 (supports text, images and voice) and has been used by roughly 50 million people, with linking to an existing ChatGPT account increasing usage limits. OpenAI warns conversations are stored, tied to phone numbers and may be temporarily reviewed. The interim measures remain while the antitrust case proceeds; Meta plans to appeal and non‑compliance could trigger fines up to 10% of global annual turnover.
EU Orders Meta to Restore WhatsApp AI Assistant Access
On June 9, 2026 the European Commission imposed interim measures requiring Meta to restore the pre-October 15, 2025 free-access conditions for competing general-purpose AI assistants using the WhatsApp Business API while an antitrust investigation continues. The order is temporary, regional (focused on the European market), and limited to a specific distribution path; it does not automatically create credentials, approve accounts, or guarantee global availability. The article summarizes a timeline (Meta restrictions on Oct 15, 2025; Commission probe Dec 2025; March 4, 2026 readmission with a fee; June 9, 2026 interim measures), explains why assistants may remain unavailable despite the order, and provides an engineering verification checklist and architectural guidance for teams retesting integrations. The final legal decision is still pending.
Meta Opens WhatsApp to Rival AI Chatbots for a Fee
Meta said it will permit general-purpose AI chatbot providers to use the WhatsApp Business API in Europe for the next 12 months, a concession made amid an EU antitrust review. The company will charge third-party AI providers per non-template message, with fees ranging from €0.0490 to €0.1323 depending on the country. The change, effective January 15, aims to give the European Commission time to complete its investigation into whether Meta's previous policy—barring third-party chatbots while Meta offered its own Meta AI on WhatsApp—was anti-competitive. The allowance excludes business uses of AI that send templated messages. Regulators in the EU, Italy and Brazil have raised concerns since Meta first imposed the restriction last October; Meta previously rolled out a similar allowance for developers in Italy in January.
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