Investigation Expanded: The EU Goes All-In on WhatsApp AI Probe
The European Commission is officially investigating Meta (the parent company of WhatsApp) for potential unfair competition.
In late 2025, Meta changed the rules for its WhatsApp Business tool. These new rules essentially blocked other AI companies from offering their services on the platform, while Meta’s own service, “Meta AI,” was still allowed to work.
The EU is worried that Meta is using its control over WhatsApp to push out competitors and give itself an unfair advantage. While the investigation originally skipped over Italy, as of April 2026, it now covers the entire European Economic Area.
Opening this case doesn’t mean Meta is “guilty” yet. It just means the EU is making this investigation a top priority to decide if Meta is breaking the law by “gatekeeping” AI on its app.