EU announces it plans to impose measures on Meta to reverse WhatsApp AI policy

Core Viewpoint - The European Commission is considering imposing interim measures on Meta to prevent the exclusion of third-party AI assistants from WhatsApp, indicating a preliminary view that Meta has breached EU antitrust rules [1][2]. Group 1: Regulatory Actions - The European Commission has informed Meta of its intention to impose "interim measures" to ensure that third-party AI assistants can continue to access WhatsApp during an ongoing investigation [1][2]. - Commissioner Teresa Ribera emphasized the need for swift action to protect effective competition in rapidly developing AI markets, stating that the interim measures aim to prevent Meta from harming competition irreparably in Europe [2]. Group 2: Policy Changes by Meta - In October, Meta updated its WhatsApp Business Solution Terms, effectively banning third-party general-purpose AI assistants from the application, with the new policy taking effect in January [3]. - The Commission's interim measures would require Meta to maintain access for third-party AI assistants under the previous terms while the investigation is ongoing [3]. Group 3: Meta's Response - A Meta spokesperson argued that there is no justification for EU intervention in the WhatsApp Business API, claiming that various AI options are available through app stores and other platforms [4]. - The spokesperson contended that the Commission's logic incorrectly assumes that the WhatsApp Business API is a key distribution channel for chatbots [4].