EU Warns Meta: Interim Measures Loom Over WhatsApp’s Ban on Third‑Party AI Assistants

What if your favorite AI assistant could show up inside WhatsApp—tomorrow? That’s not science fiction; it’s the kind of near-term shift the European Commission is signaling it’s ready to force if Meta is found to be blocking rivals while pushing its own Meta AI.

According to a recent report from The AI Insider, the European Commission sent Meta a Statement of Objections on February 8, 2026, alleging that WhatsApp’s exclusion of third‑party AI assistants—paired with preferential treatment for Meta’s own AI—may breach EU antitrust rules. And here’s the kicker: the Commission says it’s considering interim measures. In plain English, that means regulators could require Meta to open WhatsApp to competing AI services while the investigation is still underway. That’s rare, fast, and potentially game‑changing.

Below, we unpack what’s really at stake—for users, developers, brands, and every company eyeing AI assistants as the next big consumer interface.

Source: The AI Insider

What happened—and why it matters now

The Commission’s move targets what it views as exclusionary conduct: Meta allegedly blocked third‑party AI assistants from operating inside WhatsApp, while promoting or enabling its own “Meta AI” experience. Regulators worry that if one company controls both the messaging channel and the default AI assistant, it can tilt the playing field before the market for AI companions truly forms.

Why this matters: – Messaging is where consumers spend real time. If AI assistants can’t reach users where they already chat, rivals face a steep uphill climb. – AI assistants are fast becoming the “front door” to tasks—search, shopping, recommendations, even payments. Control that door, and you influence everything behind it. – Interim measures are extraordinary. The EU has the power to impose them to prevent “serious and irreparable harm” to competition before a final decision. This is the regulatory equivalent of hitting pause—on Meta’s terms—so the market doesn’t tip.

For context: – The legal backbone is EU antitrust law on abuse of dominance (Article 102 TFEU). See the Commission’s overview here: Article 102 TFEU. – The Commission has used interim measures sparingly, but it did so in the Broadcom case in 2019, signaling it’s willing to act quickly in fast‑moving tech markets. – This development also lands in the shadow of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a separate regime governing “gatekeepers.” Learn more: Digital Markets Act.

The Commission’s concern: A bottleneck at the most valuable consumer interface

Messaging is a privileged choke point

WhatsApp is among the most widely used messaging platforms in Europe. If Meta restricts which AI assistants can operate inside it, the Commission fears: – Competing AI providers can’t reach users at scale where they already communicate. – Meta’s AI benefits from default placement and seamless integration—classic advantages that can solidify dominance.

This isn’t just about one app; it’s about who gets to be the voice (and brain) inside consumers’ daily conversations.

The timing is everything

AI assistant competition is heating up now. Give one player an unchallenged runway in the EU’s biggest messaging channel, and rivals may never catch up—even if the conduct is later found unlawful. Hence the talk of interim measures.

What are interim measures, exactly?

Interim measures are temporary, binding orders that aim to preserve competition while an investigation proceeds. Think of them as the regulator saying, “We haven’t decided the final case, but we must prevent irreversible market tipping.”

Key points: – They require evidence of urgent need and risk of serious, irreparable harm to competition. – They’re typically limited and targeted: e.g., “Stop enforcing this restriction,” or “Provide access on fair terms.” – They don’t prejudge the final outcome—Meta can still contest the substance of the case.

Read more about the Commission’s approach to competition enforcement here: DG Competition.

The alleged conduct: Blocking rivals, boosting Meta AI

According to The AI Insider’s summary, the Commission believes Meta may be: – Excluding third‑party AI assistants from WhatsApp’s environment. – Favoring its own Meta AI assistant in ways that tilt the playing field.

If true, that echoes past EU concerns about “self‑preferencing”—the idea that a dominant platform gives its own service better treatment than rivals, seen previously in the Google Shopping case.

Meta introduced “Meta AI” features in 2023 and has continued to expand them. See Meta’s public materials here: Announcing Meta AI. WhatsApp also provides official developer pathways (e.g., the WhatsApp Business Platform), though not necessarily for embedding competing AI assistants as first‑class citizens. See: WhatsApp Developer Docs.

The legal lenses: Antitrust vs. DMA

Antitrust (Article 102 TFEU)

Focus: Abuse of dominance—conduct by a dominant firm that harms competition.
Potential theories: Exclusionary practices; self‑preferencing; refusal to supply/interoperability concerns if WhatsApp is a critical gateway.
Tools: Investigations, potential fines, commitments, remedies—and, where warranted, interim measures.

DMA (Gatekeeper obligations)

Focus: Predefined rules for the largest platforms (“gatekeepers”) to ensure fair, contestable digital markets.
Relevance here: The DMA includes obligations around interoperability and non‑discrimination for core platform services, notably messaging (so‑called “number‑independent interpersonal communications services”).
Why this still looks like antitrust: The Commission appears to be proceeding under antitrust law in this instance—not the DMA—likely because of the specific conduct and need for urgent relief tied to competition harm in the nascent AI assistant market. But the DMA’s spirit (openness, fairness, interoperability) looms large.

Learn more: DMA overview and Q&A.

What the Commission could require in the interim

If the Commission imposes interim measures, expect targeted, enforceable steps designed to open the channel and preserve competitive dynamics. Possible measures could include: – Non‑discriminatory access: Require Meta to allow third‑party AI assistants to integrate within WhatsApp under transparent, fair, and reasonable terms. – Technical interoperability: Provide APIs or integration hooks so competing assistants can function within chats and UI surfaces (with clear privacy and safety rules). – Choice architecture: Ensure users can easily select or switch their default AI assistant in WhatsApp. – No self‑preferencing: Bar any preferential placement or throttling that steers users toward Meta AI over rivals. – Process timelines: Impose clear deadlines for onboarding third‑party AI providers and resolving disputes.

These would be temporary and subject to revision after the final decision.

What Meta might argue

Security and privacy: Opening WhatsApp to third‑party AI could raise safety, encryption, spam, and fraud risks. Meta may argue tight controls are needed to protect users.
Product integrity: Meta could say deeply integrated AI is a core feature—not a platform—and unrestricted access would degrade the user experience.
Competition is a tap away: Users can access other AI assistants through other apps or the web; WhatsApp is not the only avenue.
Investment incentives: Meta may claim that forced openness undermines the business case for product R&D and its own differentiated assistant.

Expect the Commission to counter that properly framed technical, privacy, and safety standards can coexist with fair access; and that market tipping risks outweigh speculative product concerns at this stage.

The developer and startup angle: A new path to scale?

If interim measures open WhatsApp to third‑party AI assistants, developers could see: – Distribution at scale: Access to one of Europe’s most active messaging channels without building a parallel user base. – Richer UX patterns: Inline suggestions, context‑aware assistance, and multi‑bot orchestration inside everyday conversations. – Lower go‑to‑market friction: Fewer steps for users—no app download, no switching contexts. – Differentiation vectors: Trust, accuracy, brand, domain expertise (health, finance, travel), multilingual support, and persona design.

Risks and responsibilities: – Compliance overhead: Strict guardrails for privacy, data minimization, logging, and consent. – Policy volatility: Conditions may change rapidly under interim and final decisions. – Security hardening: Robust anti‑abuse systems to prevent phishing, impersonation, and misinformation inside chats.

For brands and enterprises: Don’t wait—prototype now

If you’re a brand, retailer, bank, airline, or media company, you should prepare for an “AI inside messaging” world. Practical steps: – Map top‑value journeys: Identify tasks where conversational AI adds real value (returns, claims, booking changes, product discovery, account management). – Build assistant blueprints: Define tone, guardrails, escalation paths to human agents, and performance KPIs (containment, CSAT, resolution time). – Data governance first: Set policies for prompt logging, PII redaction, and retention; ensure model providers meet your compliance standards. – Experiment with modularity: Separate the conversation layer from the reasoning and tools layers so you can swap models or orchestration strategies. – Plan for multi‑assistant user choice: Design your flows to interoperate with user‑selected assistants, not just your brand’s bot.

Consumer impact: Real choice, better experiences

For users, the upside could be significant: – Choice of assistant: Use the AI you prefer—generalist, privacy‑first, domain‑specific, or multilingual—right inside WhatsApp. – Reduced lock‑in: Switch without losing your chat context or contacts. – Innovation on merit: Assistants compete on accuracy, safety, speed, and personality—less on distribution muscle.

Caveats: – Privacy trade‑offs: Third‑party access must be carefully designed so assistants don’t over‑collect or mishandle data. End‑to‑end encryption and content boundaries need crystal‑clear rules and transparent UX. – Noise vs. signal: A flood of bots can overwhelm users if not well curated. Expect strict quality bars and policies.

Global ripple effects: Watch the UK and US

Major regulators often move in tandem when concerns are structural: – UK: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been active on digital platforms, AI foundation models, and consumer protection. See: UK CMA. – US: The DOJ and FTC are scrutinizing platform conduct that may foreclose competition in emerging interfaces. See: DOJ Antitrust and FTC Act Section 5.

Even without identical legal tools, a strong EU stance often accelerates global change in platform policies and access terms.

Strategic scenarios: Where this could go next

1) Interim measures with open integration – WhatsApp must support third‑party AI assistants under non‑discriminatory terms while the case proceeds. – Rapid wave of integrations by top AI labs and specialist providers. – Meta AI remains present but competes on merit, UX, and capabilities.

2) Narrow interim relief with strict safety constraints – Limited or pilot access for third‑party AI under stringent privacy/security frameworks. – Slow but steady onboarding of vetted providers.

3) No interim measures, fast‑tracked final decision – The Commission skips interim relief but accelerates its final ruling and remedy design. – Market remains in status quo pending outcome, but litigation risk for Meta rises.

4) Voluntary commitments by Meta – Meta offers concessions (APIs, choice screens, transparency commitments) to avoid or shape interim measures. – The Commission assesses sufficiency and enforceability of commitments.

Product and policy design: What “open” could look like

If WhatsApp opens to third‑party AI, the winning model balances safety, privacy, and competition:

Design pillars: – Consent-centric activation: Users explicitly opt in to connect a chosen assistant to specific chats or contexts. – Scoped data access: Assistants get only the minimum necessary context; sensitive content remains encrypted and off-limits unless explicitly shared. – Clear provenance and control: Users can see which assistant responded, why, and how to switch or revoke access. – Trust tiers: Providers earn capabilities over time by meeting reliability and safety thresholds. – Auditable policies: Transparent policies and auditable logs for compliance investigations (with privacy-preserving designs).

Developer experience: – Standardized APIs for message context, function calling, safety hooks, and escalation. – Rate limits, abuse detection, and content moderation interfaces. – Sandboxed execution for third‑party tools and bounded reasoning scopes.

Why this case is different from ordinary “app store” fights

It’s about the conversational layer. AI assistants inside messaging shape how users discover, decide, and transact—more like a personalized operating system than a single app.
Market formation is happening in real time. Defaults today can harden into structural dominance tomorrow.
The EU is explicitly weighing speed against perfection. Interim measures prioritize preserving a contestable market over waiting for a final ruling that arrives too late.

What companies should do now (a practical checklist)

Legal and policy
Monitor the Commission’s communications and any interim order language.
Prepare to engage in consultations on technical standards, privacy, and interoperability.
Map how DMA obligations might interplay with any antitrust remedies.
Product and engineering
Build integration‑ready adapters for WhatsApp‑style messaging surfaces (abstracted, so you can reuse them across platforms).
Implement robust PII handling: local redaction, role‑based access, and consent capture.
Design for user choice: support multiple assistants and smooth switching.
Risk management
Establish incident response for AI failures (hallucinations, harmful content, fraud).
Define KPIs for quality and safety: false positive/negative rates, escalation latency.
Vet model providers for data use policies, security certifications, and EU compliance.
Go‑to‑market
Prioritize high‑frequency, high‑friction use cases where AI assistance shines (returns, claims, order tracking, quick recommendations).
Localize for EU markets (languages, payments, regulations).
Build transparent value propositions and pricing for conversational tasks.

How this could reshape the AI assistant landscape

From platform-first to user-first: If WhatsApp must host competing assistants, success shifts from owning the channel to earning user trust and preference.
Rise of vertical assistants: Expect strong contenders in health, finance, travel, legal, and education—where accuracy and context matter more than general chit‑chat.
Better benchmarks and transparency: Competition inside the same surface will push standard metrics (latency, groundedness, action success) into the open.
Healthier ecosystem economics: Non‑discriminatory access and clear policies reduce platform risk and unlock investment in specialized AI.

A note on privacy and encryption

It’s impossible to overstate this: opening messaging to AI must not dilute privacy guarantees. Any access design would need: – Clear user consent for data sharing with third parties. – Strong separation between end‑to‑end encrypted messages and assistant processing pipelines, with explicit user action to share content. – Minimized retention and purpose‑limited processing by assistants. – Independent audits and transparent practices to maintain trust.

The Commission knows privacy and competition reinforce each other when done right. Expect this to be front‑and‑center in any interim or final measures.

Timeline: What to watch next

Meta’s response to the Statement of Objections and any interim measure proposal.
Whether the Commission issues an interim order—and the scope of required access.
Speed of technical enablement inside WhatsApp (APIs, onboarding, policy docs).
Early pilot integrations and user controls (choice screens, permissions, safety prompts).
Signals from other regulators (UK CMA, US agencies) on parallel concerns.

Sources and reference links

The AI Insider report on the Commission’s notice to Meta: link
EU competition policy portal (DG COMP): link
Article 102 TFEU (abuse of dominance): link
Interim measures precedent: Broadcom case (2019): link
Google Search (Shopping) press release (self‑preferencing): link
Digital Markets Act (overview and Q&A): link
Meta AI announcement (2023): link
WhatsApp Business / developer documentation: link
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA): link
US DOJ Antitrust: link
FTC Act Section 5: link

FAQ

Q: What did the European Commission do exactly?
A: It sent Meta a Statement of Objections on Feb 8, 2026, alleging that Meta may have breached EU antitrust rules by excluding third‑party AI assistants from WhatsApp while favoring its own Meta AI. The Commission is considering interim measures to prevent potential irreparable harm to competition during the investigation. Source: The AI Insider.

Q: What are “interim measures” in EU antitrust?
A: They are temporary orders to preserve competition while a full investigation is underway—used when there’s urgency and risk of serious, irreparable harm. They don’t decide the final case but can require immediate changes (e.g., opening access on fair terms).

Q: Does the DMA already require messaging interoperability?
A: The DMA sets obligations for designated “gatekeepers,” including rules that promote contestability and, in some cases, interoperability for messaging services. However, the action reported here proceeds under antitrust law, with interim measures under consideration to address urgent competition risks.

Q: What might interim measures require of WhatsApp?
A: Possible requirements include non‑discriminatory integration for third‑party AI assistants, user choice controls, technical APIs for safe access, and bans on self‑preferencing within the app—pending final outcomes.

Q: How would this affect me as a user?
A: You could gain the ability to choose your preferred AI assistant inside WhatsApp, enjoy richer features, and switch providers more easily—subject to clear privacy controls and safety standards.

Q: What about privacy and encryption—are they at risk?
A: Any opening would need to preserve robust privacy protections, require explicit user consent for sharing with assistants, and maintain strong security boundaries. Expect tight policies and audits if access expands.

Q: Could this spread beyond the EU?
A: While legal frameworks differ, a strong EU stance often influences global platform policies. The UK and US regulators are already focused on digital competition and AI, so similar debates could emerge elsewhere.

Q: What can startups and brands do now?
A: Prepare integration‑ready assistants, prioritize high‑value conversational use cases, strengthen data governance, and design for user choice and safety. Being ready early can be a competitive advantage if access opens quickly.

The bottom line

The European Commission is signaling it won’t let the AI assistant market calcify behind closed messaging doors. If interim measures land, WhatsApp could open to rival AI providers in short order—reshaping how users discover and rely on assistants inside their daily chats. For Meta, that means competing on the merits of Meta AI. For everyone else—startups, brands, and consumers—it could mean a more vibrant, choice‑driven future where the best assistant wins, not just the default one.

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EU Warns Meta: Interim Measures Loom Over WhatsApp’s Ban on Third‑Party AI Assistants

What happened—and why it matters now