EU Orders Meta to Allow Rival AI Chatbots Free Access to WhatsApp
The European Commission has ordered Meta to reinstate free access to the WhatsApp for Business API for third-party AI assistants within five working days, as an interim measure during an ongoing antitrust investigation. The probe, launched in December 2025, followed Meta's October 2025 policy change that banned rival AI chatbots from WhatsApp while allowing its own Meta AI to operate freely; a subsequent attempt by Meta to restore access for a fee was rejected by regulators as insufficient. The order is significant because it marks only the second time in over 20 years the EU has deployed such emergency interim powers, and could expose Meta to fines of up to 10% of global annual turnover — roughly $20 billion — if it fails to comply.
The European Commission announced on June 9, 2026 that Meta must restore free access to the WhatsApp for Business API for competing AI assistants under the same terms that existed before October 2025, giving the company until June 15 to comply. The antitrust investigation was launched in December 2025 after Meta banned third-party general-purpose AI chatbots from the platform while exempting its own Meta AI, following complaints from companies including California-based The Interaction Company, French startup Agentik, and a Spanish rival. Meta attempted to resolve the dispute in March 2026 by reintroducing access for a fee, but the Commission rejected this as effectively equivalent to the original ban. EU competition chief Teresa Ribera justified the rare interim measure by warning that in fast-moving AI markets, competitive harm can become irreversible before a formal investigation concludes — the last time the EU used such powers was in 2019. The interim order will remain in place for the duration of the investigation, which has no set legal deadline but can last until at most June 2029. Meta has strongly condemned the decision as "regulatory overreach," arguing it forces the company to give some of the world's largest AI firms, including OpenAI, free use of a paid commercial product, and has confirmed it will appeal. The ruling is the latest flashpoint in escalating tensions between EU regulators and US Big Tech, coming just days after a separate fine was imposed on Meta and amid a broader dispute with Apple over the Digital Markets Act.
What's missing
It is not yet clear what commercial impact the October 2025 ban had on the affected companies during the period it was in effect.
How coverage differed
Coverage was broadly consistent across outlets, though The Verge and Times of India gave more prominence to the rarity of the interim measure and the specific complainants who triggered the investigation, while BBC and France 24 placed greater emphasis on the broader context of EU-US Big Tech tensions and the parallel Apple-Siri dispute.
What different sources said
- BBC Top StoriesCenter
EU orders Meta to open WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots
- Yahoo FinanceCenter
EU regulators order Meta to allow rival AI chatbots free access to WhatsApp
- EngadgetCenter
EU orders Meta to stop blocking rival AI chatbots on WhatsApp
- France 24Center
EU orders Meta to reopen WhatsApp to rival AI assistants
- The Straits TimesCenter
EU orders Meta to open WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots for free
- The VergeLeft
WhatsApp ordered to host rival AI assistants for free
- Times of IndiaCenter
EU orders Meta to give OpenAI and other AI rivals free access to WhatsApp
Related
Samsung Galaxy S25 and S25 FE See Significant Price Cuts
Samsung's Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 FE smartphones are currently available at notably reduced prices, with the S25 FE dropping $201 (33%) to $449 on Woot for a limited time. The price reductions come amid a competitive smartphone market and ahead of anticipated future Samsung releases. The discounts make previously premium-priced devices more accessible to budget-conscious consumers.
Anthropic Disables Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI Models Globally After US Government Export Control Order
Anthropic has suspended all public access to its two most advanced AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, after the US Commerce Department issued an export control directive ordering the company to block foreign nationals from accessing them on national security grounds. The order came just three days after Fable 5's public launch and reportedly stems from government concerns about a potential jailbreak that could enable the models to assist with cyberattacks, though Anthropic says it received only verbal evidence of a narrow, non-universal vulnerability. The shutdown affects all customers globally — including enterprise users and Anthropic employees — and marks a significant escalation of US efforts to restrict foreign access to advanced AI models themselves, rather than just the chips that power them.
Xbox Free Play Days Offers Three Games Free to Play June 11–14
Microsoft's Xbox Free Play Days program is offering Hell Let Loose, State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition, and Blasphemous 2 at no cost from June 11 to June 14. Hell Let Loose requires an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, or Essential membership, while State of Decay 2 and Blasphemous 2 (via a five-hour timed trial) are accessible to all Xbox console owners. Players who wish to keep any of the games can purchase them at a limited-time discount and retain any achievements earned during the free period.