The European Commission has issued a supplementary statement of objections to Meta as part of an ongoing competition investigation related to access to WhatsApp.
The case focuses on whether recent changes to WhatsApp policies may limit the ability of third-party AI assistants to operate on the platform. AI assistants are software systems that help users perform tasks, often by interacting with messaging services or other applications.
According to the Commission’s preliminary assessment, measures such as the introduction of access fees could have similar effects to restricting or excluding competing services. This raises concerns about barriers to entry and reduced competition in a developing market.
The investigation is being conducted under Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which addresses the abuse of a dominant market position.
As part of the process, regulators are considering interim measures. These could require Meta to maintain or restore previous access conditions while the investigation is ongoing, in order to avoid potential harm to competition.
The scope of the case has been extended to cover the European Economic Area.
