THE European Union has launched an antitrust investigation against Meta, mandating that the company allow free access for external developers to its WhatsApp Business API, which had previously been restricted. This order follows Meta's controversial October 2025 policy that barred third-party AI chatbots from the platform. Despite Meta's attempt to reintroduce third-party access in March 2026 with a high fee, regulators deemed this inadequate and initiated the investigation.
The EU asserts that Meta's actions constitute a severe abuse of dominance in the messaging market, leading to the urgent need for protective measures to ensure competitive integrity. Meta plans to appeal the regulatory directive, arguing it infringes on their proprietary rights.