Meta is offering rival AI chatbot developers, including OpenAI, limited free access to WhatsApp in Europe, as the company tries to address EU antitrust concerns around competition in emerging AI assistant markets. However, rivals say the proposal may not go far enough.
TL;DR
- Meta has proposed giving rival AI chatbots free access to WhatsApp in Europe, but only up to a message limit.
- The move follows pressure from EU regulators investigating competition concerns.
- Smaller AI rivals said the offer does not fully resolve the issue.
- Meta’s proposal could help it avoid tougher EU action or possible penalties.
Meta Platforms has reportedly offered rival AI chatbot developers limited free access to WhatsApp in Europe, as the company looks to respond to growing scrutiny from European Union antitrust regulators.
According to Reuters, the offer would allow rival AI chatbots, including those from OpenAI, to access WhatsApp for free until they reach a certain limit based on messages sent to users. Once that threshold is crossed, Meta would start charging them.
The move comes at a sensitive time for Meta, which has been facing pressure from the European Commission over how AI assistants can operate on WhatsApp. The Commission had earlier considered ordering Meta to provide rivals access to WhatsApp while an investigation into the matter continues.
Meta submitted its proposal to EU antitrust regulators last week, while interested parties had until May 18, 2026, to provide feedback before the Commission decides whether to accept the offer. The European Commission declined to comment on the details but said its priority is to keep the growing AI assistant market open and competitive for innovators.
The case highlights how regulators are closely watching Big Tech companies as AI assistants become more deeply integrated into everyday messaging platforms and digital services.
Meta had introduced a policy in January that allowed only its own Meta AI assistant on WhatsApp. It later amended the policy in March, saying rival AI services could use the messaging app for a fee. That amendment triggered a second charge sheet from the EU watchdog, pushing Meta to suspend fees for a month while it discussed the matter with regulators.
“As part of ongoing discussions with the European Commission, general-purpose AI chatbots operating in the EEA will be given free access to the WhatsApp business API for one month,” a Meta spokesperson said, referring to the European Economic Area. The spokesperson added that the move would give the Commission and Meta time to reach “a quick and fair outcome” to the investigation.
The Commission called the offer a step in the right direction but warned that the window for discussions is short and depends on Meta’s genuine intention to address the concerns. If Meta can resolve the matter, it could avoid a finding of wrongdoing and a possible fine of up to 10% of its annual global turnover. However, smaller rivals remain unconvinced.
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The Interaction Company of California, developer of the Poke.com AI assistant, said Meta’s current proposal was “far from resolving any of the competition concerns identified in this case.” The company also urged the Commission to proceed with interim measures if Meta does not submit a stronger proposal soon.
Agentik founder Jeremy Andre also criticized the offer, saying it discriminates against rivals because it does not apply to Meta’s own AI. Reuters noted that Meta’s AI chatbot does not use WhatsApp’s API.
Meta currently promotes Meta AI on WhatsApp as a built-in assistant that can help users get answers, create AI-generated images, edit photos, summarize unread messages, and use privacy-focused features such as Incognito Chat. WhatsApp says personal messages and calls remain protected with end-to-end encryption, while Private Processing allows certain AI features to work without Meta or WhatsApp reading the messages.
The bigger question now is whether Meta’s limited free access proposal will satisfy EU regulators or whether the Commission will demand stronger commitments to ensure competing AI assistants can reach WhatsApp users on fair terms.
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