Central Development
The European Commission sent a Supplementary Statement of Objections to Meta on 15 April over the alleged exclusion of third‑party AI assistants from WhatsApp since 15 October 2025, and said it may seek interim measures to reverse the move while the case proceeds, according to the European Commission (single‑source) European Commission.
Why It Matters
The case tests how EU competition rules apply to AI-enabled services inside dominant messaging platforms. If the Commission ultimately requires WhatsApp to allow competing AI assistants, it could broaden user choice and developer access in one of Europe’s largest communications apps. The move also underscores Brussels’ stepped‑up enforcement on digital markets as AI features become core to consumer services, the European Commission noted in outlining its concerns.
Perspective
The Commission’s charge sheet is a procedural step; Meta will have the right to examine the file and respond before any decision. The filing and the prospect of interim measures are detailed in a single Commission notice, and no sanctions have been imposed at this stage, per the European Commission. Separately, parliamentary scrutiny of sensitive technologies is intensifying: an MEP asked whether the growing use and investment in Palantir software by EU agencies risks fundamental rights or undue U.S. influence and whether the Commission plans to stimulate compliant European alternatives, according to a single‑source written question from the European Parliament. Another MEP queried the absence of a harmonised EU framework for managing the digital data of deceased persons, a single‑source filing from the European Parliament.
What to Watch
Whether the Commission imposes interim measures compelling WhatsApp to restore access for third‑party AI assistants.
- Meta’s formal reply and any hearing schedule.
- The Commission’s written answers to MEP questions on Palantir procurement/use and digital‑legacy governance, and any follow‑on guidance or proposals.
