European Union: European Commission investigation into Meta's blocking of AI business communications on WhatsApp for possible competition law breach (Case AT.41034)

Progress

Current status
under investigation
15 Apr 2026 under investigation
09 Feb 2026 under investigation
04 Dec 2025 under deliberation

Scope

Implementers
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czechia
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Policy Area
Competition
Policy Instrument
Unilateral conduct regulation
Regulated Economic Activity
platform intermediary: user-generated content
ML and AI development
messaging service provider
Government Branch
executive
Government Body
competition authority
central government
Implementation Level
supranational

Timeline of events

15 Apr 2026
under investigation

European Commission issued a supplementary statement of objections to Meta indicating its intention to require it to restore third-party AI assistants’ access to WhatsApp under equivalent conditions

On 15 April 2026, the European Commission sent a supplementary statement of objections to Meta regarding informing the company of its intention to order the reinstatement of third-party AI assistants' access to WhatsApp under conditions existing pri…

Source
Event type investigation
Action type interim ruling
Government branch executive
Government body competition authority
09 Feb 2026
under investigation

European Commission issued Statement of Objections regarding interim measures against Meta over alleged exclusion of third-party AI from WhatsApp

On 9 February 2026, the European Commission sent a statement of objections to Meta regarding its intention to impose interim measures to address the alleged exclusion of third-party Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistants from the WhatsApp messaging…

Source
Event type investigation
Action type interim ruling
Government branch executive
Government body central government
04 Dec 2025
under deliberation

European Commission announced investigation into Meta's blocking of AI business communications on WhatsApp for possible competition law breach

On 4 December 2025, the European Commission opened an investigation into Meta's blocking of AI business communications on WhatsApp for possible competition law breach. The company's policy change, which took effect for new users on 15 October 2025 a…

Source
Event type investigation
Action type announcement
Government branch executive
Government body central government