WhatsApp ordered to have AI assistants for free

Meta has been ordered by the European Commission to restore WhatsApp’s free access to chatbots created by AI rivals while the regulator completes its antitrust investigation. Temporarily missing measure was announced on Tuesday it was deemed necessary to “prevent serious damage and unsustainable competition” in the artificial intelligence market.

This is the second time the EU has used emergency powers in more than 20 years, Politics reports. It follows initiate a formal investigation in December 2025 if Meta abused its market dominance by banning third-party AI chatbots on its messaging platform WhatsApp. Meta later restored access to competitive chat “money” in Marchappears in breach of EU competition law. Now, the Commission is ordering Meta to restore access to WhatsApp for those fighting against third-party AI according to the conditions that existed before the ban, which was “free”.

“In fast-growing markets, competition can be lost long before the final decision is made. This is why these measures will remain in place during the investigation, in order to avoid damage that may not be possible to repair,” said the head of European competition Teresa Ribera in a statement. “These temporary measures will protect competition in the growing market of AI assistants, by maintaining an entry point to reach consumers in Europe – WhatsApp – and allow AI companies to innovate, scale and achieve their potential.”

Meta has until June 15 to comply. The broader antitrust investigation is still ongoing, with no date set for formal confirmation. If Meta ignores the law, it could face fines of up to 10 percent of annual revenue, or about $20 billion, based on 2025 earnings.

In words to PoliticsA Meta spokesperson dismissed the lawsuit as frivolous and said the company intends to appeal the decision:

“The European Commission has decided that OpenAI and other major companies in the world can use paid advertising on WhatsApp Business for free. This is an improvement that is offered by many European companies that pay.”