EU provisionally finds Meta broke antitrust rules; reportedly orders restoration of third‑party AI access to WhatsApp

Initial finding and the order

It has been reported that the European Commission’s competition arm has provisionally determined that Meta Platforms violated EU competition rules by restricting third‑party access to WhatsApp, and has required the company to restore connections that allow external AI assistants to operate with the messaging service. The move represents an early, formal push by Brussels to curb what regulators see as gatekeeper behaviour by large U.S. tech firms and to keep interoperability open for independent developers.

Meta has argued in the past that limits on integrations were needed for user privacy and safety. But Brussels appears to have concluded — at least provisionally — that those concerns do not justify blanket restrictions that hamper competition. It has been reported that the decision leans on EU competition law and on the spirit of the Digital Markets Act, which gives regulators new tools to police dominant “core platform” players.

Why this matters

Why does this matter for Western readers? WhatsApp is one of the world’s largest messaging platforms; restricting third‑party AI assistants can stifle innovation and lock users into a single provider’s ecosystem. The case also underscores the broader geopolitical contest over digital governance: the EU is increasingly willing to challenge U.S. Big Tech under its tougher regulatory regime, even as Washington focuses on different tools such as export controls and antitrust suits.

The decision is provisional and likely to be appealed, and it has been reported that Meta may seek to contest the findings. Still, the order to restore access — if enforced — would be a tangible win for independent AI developers and a test of Brussels’ appetite for behavioural remedies rather than only fines. What happens next will signal whether Europe can bend platform behaviour through rapid, enforceable remedies instead of lengthy litigation.