The European Commission today sent a statement of objections to Meta, warning that the company led by Mark Zuckerberg may be violating European Union competition rules by blocking competing AI assistants within its flagship app, WhatsApp. The origin of the conflict Since January 15, 2026, Meta has implemented a new policy in the WhatsApp Business API that prohibits general-purpose AI chatbots developed by third parties. This measure directly affects popular assistants such as ChatGPT, Copilot, and Luzia, allowing only those bots designed exclusively for customer service for specific businesses. This measure effectively made Meta AI the only assistant available on the platform, excluding any other competitors from the ecosystem. Meta justified this restriction by claiming it seeks to avoid overloading its systems and preserve the platform's original focus. However, the measure has been interpreted as an attempt to eliminate competition and position Meta AI as the only assistant available on WhatsApp. According to the Commission's preliminary findings, WhatsApp has become a "key entry point" for AI assistants to reach consumers. By excluding third parties, Meta is abusing its dominant position in the communication app market within the European Economic Area. As the Commission explains in its statement, "There is an urgent need for protective measures due to the risk of serious and irreparable harm to competition. Meta's conduct risks creating barriers to entry and expansion, and irreparably marginalizing smaller competitors in the general-purpose AI assistant market." Given the rapid pace of change in the AI ​​sector, Brussels is unwilling to wait for a lengthy investigation. Therefore, the Commission intends to impose interim measures to reverse this exclusion immediately: "We cannot allow dominant technology companies to unlawfully exploit their position to gain an unfair advantage," stated Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President of the Commission. “AI markets are developing at an accelerated pace, so we must act quickly.” The precedent from other countries This decision has generated a swift regulatory response, with cases such as those in Italy and Brazil. Their respective competition authorities have ordered the immediate suspension of the regulations, considering them an abuse of dominant position that harms innovation and consumers. For now, Brazil and Italy are the only territories where third parties can continue offering their AI services, while the rest of the world faces Meta's new restrictions.