The EU gave Meta exactly five working days to let rival AI chatbots onto WhatsApp for free—or face a heavy fine. This is an interim measure in an antitrust probe that has been brewing since February.
What the EU Demands
Brussels ordered Meta to open WhatsApp's platform to competing AI assistants without charging access fees. The clock starts ticking immediately: five working days to comply. If Meta drags its feet, the EU has already warned it will impose financial penalties.
The commission made clear this is not a suggestion. It follows a February warning that Meta faced interim measures if it didn't voluntarily open up WhatsApp. Meta didn't act, so the regulator is now pulling the trigger.
Why This Matters for Interoperability
Messaging interoperability has been a long-running EU obsession under the Digital Markets Act. But extending that to AI chatbots is a new frontier. WhatsApp holds over 2 billion users globally. Forcing it to host rival AI assistants effectively makes Meta's platform a utility for AI distribution.
This sets a precedent: if you run a dominant messaging network, you may be required to give competitors' AI agents the same access as your own. The technical implications are messy—end-to-end encryption, API rate limits, spam controls all have to be rethought when third-party chatbots plug into the same user base.
The EU is betting that opening WhatsApp will spur competition among AI assistants. Whether Meta can engineer compliant access without breaking its security model is the open question for the next five days.
Source: EU orders Meta to open WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots for free
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