Open Markets Institute Applauds EU Move to Stop Meta from Gatekeeping AI on WhatsApp
Brussels — Today, the European Commission announced a preliminary finding that Meta may have abused its dominant position by excluding third-party AI assistants from WhatsApp. The Commission intends to impose interim measures to prevent serious and irreparable damage to competition. Such measures could include Meta being forced to open WhatsApp to third-party AI assistants. Max von Thun, Director of Europe & Transatlantic Partnerships at the Open Markets Institute, released the following statement:
“This is a landmark decision in the history of European Union (EU) competition enforcement. Until now, the Commission made little use of interim measures in competition proceedings, despite these being a powerful tool to intervene early to prevent harm. The Commission also deserves credit for moving exceptionally fast: after Meta updated its WhatsApp policy on AI assistants in October 2025, the Commission launched its investigation in December and today issued its statement of objections. This sets an important precedent which the Commission should build on throughout the AI market.”
“Tech giants are abusing their power over existing digital platforms to give themselves unfair advantages in the race to develop AI products and services. This undermines innovation by independent rivals, deprives consumers of choice, and further consolidates monopoly control over critical information infrastructure. Today’s announcement by the Commission is an significant step towards stopping this.”
The Open Markets Institute has consistently advocated for robust enforcement of existing competition rules to prevent AI from becoming controlled by a few tech giants. Given the potential significance of AI to the global economy, it is essential that this technology is not controlled by a few unaccountable corporations.