EU warns Meta it must open up WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots | The Express Tribune

The EU sent Meta a formal antitrust warning, giving the company a chance to respond and defend itself AFP February 09, 2026 2 min read This illustration photograph taken on December 1, 2025, shows the logo of US instant messaging software WhatsApp displayed on a smartphone’s screen, in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany. The European Commission told Meta on February 9, 2026 to give rival chatbots access to its WhatsApp messaging service after an antitrust probe found the US giant to be in breach of the bloc’s competition rules.PHOTO FILE: AFP The EU executive told Meta on Monday that it must let rival AI chatbots use its WhatsApp platform, after an antitrust probe found the US giant to be in breach of the bloc’s competition rules. The European Commission said a change in Meta’s terms had “effectively” barred third-party artificial intelligence assistants from connecting to customers via the messaging platform since January. Competition chief Teresa Ribera said the EU was “considering” interim measures to “avoid Meta’s new policy irreparably harming competition in Europe”. The EU executive sent Meta a warning known as a “statement of objections”, a formal step in antitrust probes, and the US giant now has a chance
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