Meta’s Allows Rivals Access To WhatsApp

Meta has offered rival AI chatbots, including OpenAI, limited free access to WhatsApp in Europe, according to sources cited by Reuters, but the offer would switch to paid access once usage crosses a messaging threshold. The proposal was submitted to EU antitrust regulators last week as the European Commission considers whether to require Meta to provide access while its investigation continues.

WhatsApp is one of the largest consumer messaging platforms in the world, and access to it could give AI assistants a direct route into everyday user interaction rather than forcing them to rely on standalone apps or websites. In that sense, the case is becoming a test of whether major platforms can use control over messaging ecosystems to shape how AI services reach users.

Meta’s current position appears to be an attempt to narrow the regulatory dispute without fully giving up commercial control. Reuters reported earlier that Meta had told regulators in March it would allow competing general-purpose AI chatbots on WhatsApp in Europe for a year through the WhatsApp Business API, but for a fee. The new offer goes further by allowing some free access, yet still preserves Meta’s ability to start charging once a usage cap is reached.

The Commission has already gathered feedback from interested parties and will now decide whether Meta’s offer is sufficient or whether stronger interim action is needed. The outcome will matter beyond this case because it could help determine whether access to large messaging platforms is treated as a commercial privilege or as infrastructure that competing AI services should be able to use on fair terms.