EU weighs interim rules to keep third‑party AI on WhatsApp amid Meta probe

The European Commission plans to impose interim measures to prevent Meta from excluding third‑party AI assistants from WhatsApp during an ongoing antitrust investigation into Meta’s AI policy, after preliminarily finding a breach of EU rules. Measures would require Meta to maintain access to WhatsApp under pre‑policy terms while the probe continues. Meta contests the approach, arguing there are many AI options and that WhatsApp Business API isn’t a key distribution channel. The action follows a string of 2025 fines against major tech firms for rule breaches.