sports
WhatsApp’s move to restrict access to competing AI chatbots has triggered controversy and drawn renewed regulatory scrutiny from the European Union. The Meta-owned messaging platform is accused of blocking rival AI assistants, raising concerns about anti-competitive practices in the fast-growing artificial intelligence market.
The European Commission has issued a formal warning to Meta, stating that its policies could cause “serious and irreparable harm” to competition. Regulators warned that Meta’s conduct risks preventing rival AI providers from entering or expanding in the AI assistant market. The Commission indicated it may impose interim measures, including a temporary order requiring Meta to allow access to competing AI chatbots on WhatsApp, though Meta will be given an opportunity to respond.
The regulatory threat comes amid broader tensions between the European Union and the United States over the regulation of major American technology companies. WhatsApp’s recent policy changes effectively block AI tools developed by competitors such as OpenAI and Perplexity, leaving Meta AI as the only chatbot available on the platform, which has more than 500 million users in India alone.
In October last year, WhatsApp updated its Business API policy to prohibit general purpose AI chatbots from operating on its platform. While the company clarified that businesses using AI for customer support, such as travel agencies, would not be affected, the policy explicitly bans AI model providers from distributing standalone AI assistants through WhatsApp. The move signals a shift toward a more closed ecosystem and intensifies competition in the global AI race.
Comments (0)
No comments yet
Be the first to comment!