Meta's WhatsApp may face EU penalties over AI assistant ban
The European Commission has sent a statement of objections and set out a preliminary view that Meta's policy change may be in breach of EU competition rules and that it is considering interim measures over not letting third-party AI assistants—like ChatGPT—work on WhatsApp across the European Economic Area (EEA), excluding Italy.
This move, which kicked in January 2026 after a policy update, means only Meta's own AI is allowed on the app (except in Italy, where local authorities stepped in).
Impact on users and Meta's defense
This matters because it could limit your choices for using cool new AI tools inside WhatsApp.
The EU is now considering quick action to make sure Meta doesn't shut out competitors and to keep things fair for both users and other tech companies.
As Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera put it, they want to "preserve access... and avoid irreparably harming competition."
Meta, meanwhile, says people can still use other AIs through different apps or websites.