European regulators are concerned that this policy, which was announced in October, may breach EU competition rules by giving Meta’s own AI chatbot a competitive advantage while blocking rivals.
Meta claims the investigation is baseless, stating that the WhatsApp Application Programming Interface (API) was not designed to support AI chatbots, which put a strain on their systems.
A new policy announced by Meta in October prohibited AI providers from utilizing a tool that allows businesses to contact customers via WhatsApp when AI is the main service offered, the European Commission said.
While businesses may still use AI tools for functions like customer support, the bloc was concerned the new policy might “prevent third party AI providers from offering their services through WhatsApp in the European Economic Area (EEA),” it added.
“The claims are baseless,” a WhatsApp spokesperson said in a statement, adding that the app’s application programming interface (API) was not designed to support AI chatbots and “puts a strain on our systems.”
The probe will examine whether Meta’s new policy on allowing AI providers’ access to WhatsApp may breach EU competition rules, Brussels said in a statement Thursday morning.
The investigation specifically targets a recent policy change that prohibits AI providers from accessing a specific tool used by businesses to communicate with customers via WhatsApp.
The formal investigation covers all of the European Economic Area (EEA), with the exception of Italy, where a separate probe is already underway.
The European Commission is worried that this policy will give Meta’s own AI service an unfair advantage over competitors, potentially harming innovation in the AI space.
Fines for violating the EU’s antitrust rules can reach as much as 10% of a company’s annual revenue. There are no dates set for the antitrust investigation to close, but previous cases have dragged on for years.
Meta claims the investigation is baseless, stating that the WhatsApp Application Programming Interface (API) was not designed to support AI chatbots, which put a strain on their systems.
A new policy announced by Meta in October prohibited AI providers from utilizing a tool that allows businesses to contact customers via WhatsApp when AI is the main service offered, the European Commission said.
While businesses may still use AI tools for functions like customer support, the bloc was concerned the new policy might “prevent third party AI providers from offering their services through WhatsApp in the European Economic Area (EEA),” it added.
“The claims are baseless,” a WhatsApp spokesperson said in a statement, adding that the app’s application programming interface (API) was not designed to support AI chatbots and “puts a strain on our systems.”
The probe will examine whether Meta’s new policy on allowing AI providers’ access to WhatsApp may breach EU competition rules, Brussels said in a statement Thursday morning.
The investigation specifically targets a recent policy change that prohibits AI providers from accessing a specific tool used by businesses to communicate with customers via WhatsApp.
The formal investigation covers all of the European Economic Area (EEA), with the exception of Italy, where a separate probe is already underway.
The European Commission is worried that this policy will give Meta’s own AI service an unfair advantage over competitors, potentially harming innovation in the AI space.
Fines for violating the EU’s antitrust rules can reach as much as 10% of a company’s annual revenue. There are no dates set for the antitrust investigation to close, but previous cases have dragged on for years.