Meta is giving rival AI chatbots a temporary key to WhatsApp’s business API in Europe.
The tech giant says it will grant competing artificial intelligence chatbots free access to its WhatsApp business API within the European Economic Area (EEA) for one month. The decision, reported by Reuters, aims to stave off a potentially devastating fine from European Union regulators who have been preparing to force the company to open up its messaging ecosystem.
The temporary truce gives both sides a brief window to negotiate a permanent solution. As a Meta spokesperson stated, per Reuters: “As part of ongoing discussions with the European Commission, general-purpose AI chatbots operating in the EEA will be given free access to the WhatsApp business API for one month.”
The spokesperson added that “This will provide the Commission and Meta with time to achieve a quick and fair outcome to the investigation.”
Dodging the 10% penalty
The stakes are incredibly high for Meta. Under EU competition rules, a formal finding of antitrust wrongdoing could subject the company to a penalty of up to 10% of its annual global turnover.
The European Commission welcomed Meta’s sudden shift, viewing it as a sign that the company is willing to cooperate before regulators issue a formal order.
“The Commission believes this creates adequate conditions to discuss commitments with Meta that would address our concerns on the substance of the case,” a Commission spokesperson said, per Reuters. However, the regulator made it clear that Meta is not off the hook just yet, noting that “The window for this discussion is short, and the process is conditional on Meta’s genuine intention to address the Commission’s concerns.”
The path to the pricing fight
This clash has been brewing since late 2025.
According to a MediaNama report, Meta initially announced plans to block third-party AI assistants from using WhatsApp, a restriction that took effect on Jan. 15. That drew pushback from Italy’s competition authority and the European Commission, both warning that the ban would marginalize smaller AI developers.
Hoping to quiet the critics, Meta adjusted its policy in March by allowing rivals back on the app, but attached a steep fee to the privilege. Instead of settling the matter, the high pricing triggered a second charge sheet from the EU watchdog.
The financial reality of that fee structure was laid bare by developers. The initial investigation was sparked by complaints from a Spanish competitor and California-based The Interaction Company, which creates the Poke.com AI assistant. Highlighting how difficult it became to operate under Meta’s paid model, Poke.com co-founder Marvin von Hagen posted on X:
“Our average cost per user went from $0.13 to $11.04 – just for the whatsapp api. How does this allow for fair competition?”
Meta has defended its position by arguing that third-party AI chatbots have dramatically increased message traffic on WhatsApp and strained infrastructure originally designed for customer service and business communication.
For now, the one-month free access window appears to be Meta’s attempt to buy time, ease regulatory tensions, and avoid a much larger legal fight in Europe.
Also read: EU institutions are already showing caution toward AI, with the European Parliament recently disabling AI features on lawmakers’ devices due to privacy and cybersecurity concerns.