EU antitrust lawsuit against Meta: plans to force WhatsApp to open up, strictly prohibiting the blocking of third-party AI competitors

The European Union antitrust regulatory authority has officially initiated charges against Meta Platforms and plans to take mandatory temporary measures to prevent the company from using its dominant position in the instant messaging field to eliminate artificial intelligence competitors. The European Commission announced on Monday that it has sent a statement of objections to Meta, accusing it of violating EU competition rules. To prevent serious and irreparable harm to competitors, the regulatory authority plans to implement temporary measures that would require Meta to keep WhatsApp open to competitors during the investigation. This action echoes similar measures taken by the Italian competition regulator last December, reflecting concerns from regulators about Meta using the WhatsApp Business API to exclude third-party AI services. EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera emphasized in a statement that effective competition in this vibrant sector must be protected. She pointed out that dominant tech companies should not be allowed to illegally exploit their advantages for unfair gains. Ribera made it clear that the consideration of swiftly implementing temporary measures against Meta is to preserve competitors' access to WhatsApp during the investigation, avoiding irreversible harm to competition in the European market caused by Meta's new policies. This investigation not only intensifies the regulatory pressure Meta faces in Europe but also reflects the EU's determination to strictly enforce antitrust rules, despite criticisms from the U.S. regarding enforcement actions against domestic tech giants. If the temporary measures are implemented, they will directly force Meta to modify its business strategy, suspending the exclusive policy that only allows Meta AI assistants to access WhatsApp, thereby preserving this critical distribution channel for third-party AI developers. Core of the Charges: Preventing Irreparable Market Damage The core of the European Commission's action is to prevent permanent damage to market structure. According to Reuters, Meta implemented a new policy on January 15 of this year, stipulating that only its own Meta AI assistants could be used on the WhatsApp platform. EU regulators believe that due to WhatsApp's dominant position in the communications services sector, this policy constitutes an abuse of dominance and could quickly drive competitors out of the market. The regulatory authority stated in its announcement that the intention of implementing temporary measures is to "freeze" the status quo, ensuring that the competitive environment does not deteriorate to an irretrievable extent before the lengthy antitrust investigation reaches a final conclusion. Whether the European Commission ultimately implements these temporary measures will depend on Meta's response to the statement of objections and its exercise of the right to defense. Meta's Response: Intervention Lacks Factual Basis In response to the EU's charges, Meta quickly countered, arguing that the regulatory authority's intervention lacks legitimate grounds. A Meta spokesperson stated in an email that the European Commission's logical premise is flawed, incorrectly assuming that the WhatsApp Business API is a key distribution channel for chatbots The spokesperson argued that there are numerous AI options available in the market, and users can access services through various channels such as app stores, operating systems, devices, websites, and industry partners. Meta insists that, based on this fact, the EU has no reason to intervene in the operational strategy of the WhatsApp Business API. Global Regulatory Game and Precedents The EU's action is not an isolated incident but part of a global wave of antitrust regulation against tech giants. According to Reuters, a court in Brazil just last month suspended a temporary measure issued by the country's antitrust agency regarding the same issue with Meta, highlighting the complexity and interplay of different jurisdictions in handling such novel antitrust cases. Nevertheless, the objection statement issued by the EU and the temporary measures it intends to take still send a strong signal to the market. As an instant messaging platform with a large user base, WhatsApp is not only a communication tool but also an important gateway for AI services to reach users. The EU's move aims to ensure that tech giants cannot leverage their existing platform advantages to establish a monopoly in the burgeoning AI sector by blocking channels