The European Union has launched an antitrust probe into Meta over its integration of artificial intelligence tools in WhatsApp, focusing on whether the company’s approach violates EU competition rules. The investigation, first detailed in reports citing internal EU planning, marks a new escalation in scrutiny of how Big Tech deploys AI inside dominant messaging platforms. Meta has already branded the emerging allegations as baseless, signaling that it intends to mount an aggressive defense as regulators move ahead.
EU Announces Probe into Meta’s AI Practices
EU competition regulators have initiated an antitrust investigation into Meta’s rollout of AI features in WhatsApp, examining how the company uses data and designs its services inside one of the world’s largest messaging apps. According to reporting that the European Commission is preparing a formal case, officials are focusing on whether Meta’s AI tools are being integrated in ways that could distort competition in digital communications and adjacent AI services, particularly given WhatsApp’s scale across the European Economic Area. For regulators, the stakes include not only potential harm to rival AI developers but also the risk that a single platform could entrench its dominance by tying new AI capabilities to an already indispensable messaging service.
The probe is rooted in concerns that Meta’s policies may effectively bundle AI functionalities with WhatsApp’s core messaging features, making it harder for competing AI tools to gain traction or access users on equal terms. Early accounts of the case describe EU officials scrutinizing whether Meta’s approach to AI in WhatsApp could amount to self-preferencing or exclusionary conduct, especially if users are nudged toward in-house AI assistants instead of independent alternatives. As described in coverage of the Commission’s plans, the launch of the investigation follows a broader wave of EU antitrust actions against large platforms and represents a fresh focus on AI-specific integrations in social and messaging environments, where any unfair advantage could quickly reshape the market.
Allegations Center on WhatsApp AI Integration
At the core of the case are automated AI tools inside WhatsApp that rely on user data to power enhanced functionalities, such as smart replies, content generation, or automated assistance for businesses. Reports on the probe’s scope indicate that regulators are interested in how these tools are trained and deployed, including whether Meta uses data gathered from WhatsApp in ways that competitors cannot match. If Meta can combine messaging metadata, behavioral signals, and cross-service information to refine its AI models while limiting similar access for others, EU officials fear that the resulting advantage could be difficult to unwind and could lock users into a single AI ecosystem.
EU authorities are also examining whether Meta’s AI deployment in WhatsApp restricts third-party AI access or interoperability within the app’s broader ecosystem. According to accounts of the planned case, the investigation is expected to look at policies that might limit how external AI services can plug into WhatsApp, for example through APIs or business integrations, compared with Meta’s own tools. Reporting on the probe’s emphasis on WhatsApp’s AI policy, including coverage that the EU has launched an antitrust investigation into Meta over its use of AI in WhatsApp, highlights concerns that such restrictions could undermine fair competition and prevent smaller AI providers from reaching the app’s vast user base on comparable terms.
Meta’s Immediate Response and Defense
Meta has moved quickly to push back, with the company publicly describing the emerging EU claims as “baseless” and insisting that its AI implementations in WhatsApp comply with European law. In statements cited in coverage of the case, Meta argues that its AI tools are designed to respect privacy rules and competition obligations, and that the company has invested heavily in safeguards to ensure responsible deployment. By framing the probe as unfounded at this early stage, Meta is signaling that it sees the investigation as an overreach that risks chilling innovation in consumer-facing AI.
The company also contends that regulators are misunderstanding the innovative nature of AI in WhatsApp, which Meta says is aimed at improving user experience rather than harming competition or shutting out rivals. In reports describing how the EU regulator reportedly plans to launch the probe and how Meta has already responded, the company stresses that features such as AI-powered assistance for small businesses or smarter messaging tools are intended to give users more choice and functionality, not less. This stance is consistent with Meta’s history of challenging EU antitrust and data protection actions, and it suggests that the company is prepared to contest the investigation vigorously, including by arguing that strict limits on AI integration could leave European users behind global peers.
Broader Regulatory Context and Implications
The new probe sits squarely within the framework of the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which targets so-called gatekeeper platforms such as Meta for closer oversight of how they use data and integrate new technologies like AI. Under the DMA, companies that control key digital gateways are subject to specific obligations intended to prevent self-preferencing, unfair bundling, and restrictions on interoperability, all of which are now being tested in the context of WhatsApp’s AI features. Reporting that the EU has launched an antitrust probe into Meta over its use of AI in WhatsApp underscores how regulators are increasingly treating AI design choices as potential competition issues, not just questions of innovation or product development.
Potential outcomes of the investigation range from substantial fines to mandated changes in how WhatsApp’s AI tools are offered, including possible requirements to open up interfaces to rival AI providers or to separate certain data flows. Previous EU actions against Meta, including cases involving data sharing across services and targeted advertising, have already forced the company to adjust its business models in Europe, and a finding of infringement here could have similar structural consequences. For other technology firms, the case is likely to serve as an early test of how aggressively EU authorities will apply antitrust rules to AI integrations in messaging and social apps, signaling whether future AI rollouts on platforms like Telegram, Signal, or Apple’s iMessage will face comparable scrutiny.
Signals for AI Competition Across Digital Platforms
Beyond WhatsApp, the investigation sends a clear signal that EU regulators intend to scrutinize how AI is embedded across the broader Meta ecosystem, including Facebook and Instagram, where recommendation algorithms and generative tools are becoming central to user engagement. Coverage that the EU is preparing to begin a probe into WhatsApp AI features and that officials are watching Meta’s AI strategy closely suggests that the Commission sees messaging as a critical test bed for principles that could later be applied to other services. If regulators conclude that tying AI assistants or content generators to dominant platforms can distort competition, similar reasoning could shape future cases involving search engines, app stores, or cloud providers that bundle proprietary AI tools with core infrastructure.
The financial and strategic implications are significant for Meta and its peers, as AI is increasingly central to monetization strategies, from targeted advertising to business messaging and digital commerce. Reporting that the EU will launch an antitrust probe into Meta over AI in WhatsApp, including detailed analysis of how the case fits into the bloc’s broader tech regulation agenda, highlights that companies may need to redesign AI products to meet stricter interoperability and data access standards in Europe. For startups and smaller AI developers, a robust enforcement stance could open new opportunities to integrate with large platforms on more equal terms, while for consumers, the outcome will help determine whether AI assistants inside everyday apps remain tightly controlled by a few incumbents or become part of a more open and competitive ecosystem.
How Markets and Policymakers Are Reading the Case
Financial markets and policy circles are already parsing the early details of the probe for clues about future regulatory risk facing AI-heavy business models. Coverage that the EU regulator reportedly plans to launch a probe into Meta over its use of AI in WhatsApp and that the company has called the claims baseless reflects investor concern that repeated clashes with Brussels could translate into higher compliance costs and slower product rollouts. Analysts following the case note that Meta’s messaging strategy, including monetization through business messaging and AI-powered customer service, is particularly exposed to any requirement that WhatsApp open its ecosystem more widely to third-party AI tools.
Policymakers across Europe are also watching how the Commission balances competition enforcement with the bloc’s ambition to foster homegrown AI innovation. Reporting that the EU will launch an antitrust probe into Meta over use of AI in WhatsApp, framed within broader debates about digital sovereignty and fair access to data, underscores that the case is not only about one company’s conduct but also about the rules that will govern AI markets in the region. If the investigation results in clear guidance on acceptable AI integration practices for gatekeeper platforms, it could provide much-needed regulatory certainty for both incumbents and challengers, shaping investment decisions and product roadmaps across the European tech sector.
Unverified based on available sources.
