Brussels, Belgium – The European Commission has opened a formal antitrust investigation into Meta Platforms over the deployment of artificial intelligence features within its messaging app WhatsApp, highlighting growing regulatory scrutiny of Big Tech and generative AI in Europe.

The probe focuses on Meta’s new policy regarding AI providers’ access to WhatsApp, following the integration of Meta AI, a chatbot and virtual assistant, into WhatsApp across European markets in March 2025. Regulators are concerned that this rollout could give Meta AI preferential access while potentially limiting rival AI services, raising competition and market dominance issues.

A WhatsApp spokesperson said the claims are “baseless,” noting that chatbots place strain on its systems but emphasizing that users still have access to a variety of AI tools through app stores, search engines, email services, and operating systems.

Parallel Investigations and Context

Italy’s antitrust authority opened a similar probe in July, initially investigating whether Meta leveraged its market position by embedding AI into WhatsApp. In November, the scope expanded to examine whether Meta blocked competing AI chatbots from the platform, potentially abusing its dominant position.

Unlike some recent cases involving Amazon and Microsoft, the European Commission’s WhatsApp investigation is being conducted under traditional EU antitrust rules, rather than the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This approach underscores the ongoing tension in Europe between fostering innovation in AI and preventing dominant tech firms from limiting market competition.

The case marks the latest in a series of EU regulatory actions targeting Big Tech, as policymakers seek to balance technological growth with consumer protection and fair market practices.