The European Commission has launched a formal antitrust investigation into Meta’s integration of artificial intelligence tools within WhatsApp, opening a new front in the bloc’s escalating effort to regulate digital platforms. The probe reflects growing concerns within the EU that the rapid incorporation of AI systems into dominant communication platforms may distort competition, limit market access for rivals, and entrench the influence of a handful of large technology companies. By focusing specifically on how Meta allows—or restricts—AI providers’ access to WhatsApp, regulators aim to understand whether the company’s conduct could undermine emerging competitors in the generative AI ecosystem.

Regulatory concerns rise as AI systems embed deeply into dominant platforms

The EU’s investigation centres on the competitive implications of Meta embedding its in-house AI assistant into WhatsApp, a platform with unparalleled reach across Europe. With more than two billion users globally and a dominant position in multiple EU states, WhatsApp serves as one of the most important communication channels in the region. By integrating its own AI tools directly into the interface, Meta has acquired a unique gateway to consumer interaction data, user behaviour insights and a vast distribution channel—all of which can magnify its market power.

Regulators fear such integration could tilt the competitive landscape. The question is whether Meta’s control over WhatsApp allows it to shape which AI providers gain entry to Europe’s fastest-growing digital services market. If only Meta’s assistant is seamlessly available to users, and rival chatbots face barriers, the company could effectively set the terms of competition in an industry still in its formative stages. The EU is concerned not only with overt blocking but also with more subtle levers, such as limiting interoperability, imposing technical constraints, or designing default settings that advantage its own AI tools.

By formally opening an investigation, the Commission signals that embedding AI in globally dominant platforms will not go unexamined. Regulators across Europe have voiced increasing concern that AI systems, once integrated into messaging platforms, digital wallets or social networks, create lock-in effects that are difficult for rivals to overcome. In this context, Meta’s move is seen as part of a broader shift toward platform-controlled AI ecosystems—raising questions about who will shape the next phase of digital interaction.

A broader competition debate as Europe grapples with generative AI power

The probe comes amid a wave of regulatory scrutiny across the EU, where competition authorities have become increasingly attuned to the risk that AI may amplify existing market dominance. The Commission has already taken actions against other technology giants in adjacent markets, and member states have launched their own national investigations, reflecting a growing consensus that AI introduces new forms of gatekeeping power. Meta’s rollout of its AI assistant across WhatsApp earlier this year instantly made it one of the most widely distributed chatbots in Europe, even before many local competitors could develop scale.

Italy’s competition authority has expressed particular concern, opening its own investigation into whether Meta leveraged its near-total dominance in messaging to force adoption of its AI tool. Officials fear that when a platform as ubiquitous as WhatsApp introduces a proprietary AI system, users may have little meaningful choice but to use it, undermining rival providers’ ability to compete for visibility and functionality. This reinforces the EU’s broader apprehension that large companies can use AI integration not merely to innovate but to embed themselves deeper into the digital lives of consumers.

The Commission’s decision to use traditional antitrust powers—rather than the newer Digital Markets Act—signals the seriousness of the competitive questions at stake. While the Digital Markets Act provides a framework for regulating gatekeepers, conventional antitrust investigations allow for more targeted analysis of abuse of dominance, interoperability concerns, and exclusionary behaviour. By choosing this path, Brussels is positioning the case as a structural competition issue rather than solely a regulatory compliance matter.

Competitive dynamics shift as AI reshapes global communication platforms

Meta’s AI strategy aligns with a broader industry push to integrate virtual assistants, generative models and conversational features into messaging apps, search engines and operating systems. For companies with established network effects, embedding AI tools directly into core platforms is a way to capture new growth and secure strategic relevance as user expectations evolve. For regulators, however, this creates heightened risk that incumbents will use their vast distribution networks to limit the ability of smaller AI developers to gain traction.

The competitive implications extend beyond direct access. Integrating AI within a platform like WhatsApp provides Meta with privileged access to valuable user data, which can be used to train and refine its models. Competitors lacking such scale may be at a structural disadvantage, unable to match the speed of model improvement. This data asymmetry is increasingly recognized as one of the biggest barriers to AI competition, especially in markets where generative models must learn from massive volumes of interaction.

Regulators are also focused on how Meta may control the environment in which AI services operate. If WhatsApp’s architecture restricts the integration of third-party chatbots or applies inconsistent rules to rival systems, the platform effectively becomes a gatekeeper for AI innovation in Europe. Technical design choices—such as limiting API access, prioritizing default experiences or shaping how users discover new services—can have significant competitive consequences even without explicit exclusion.

Meta has rejected the allegations, arguing that its AI integration is designed to enhance user experience and that the broader AI market remains highly competitive. The company contends that users have numerous avenues to access alternative AI services through web platforms, mobile apps and operating systems. However, competition authorities increasingly view platform-based exposure as essential, given that messaging services have become primary gateways for everyday digital interactions.

Power, influence and the next frontier of digital oversight

The EU’s investigation illustrates the shifting pressure points within digital regulation as artificial intelligence becomes embedded in consumer platforms. Unlike earlier cases centred around advertising markets or e-commerce, the focus now lies on algorithmic ecosystems, data access, and the architecture of digital communication. As dominant firms incorporate AI into products used daily across the continent, regulators are questioning not only the competitive effects but also the breadth of influence these systems may wield over information flow and user choice.

For Meta, the probe unfolds at a time when technology companies face heightened expectations to comply with European competition, privacy and content rules. Generative AI introduces a new layer of complexity: the same tools that enhance user functionality can also centralize control, amplify market power and create dependencies that are difficult to unwind. As Meta expands its suite of AI-enhanced services across its platforms, regulators aim to define boundaries before entrenched positions become irreversible.

The outcome of the investigation may have implications far beyond WhatsApp. If Brussels determines that integrating proprietary AI assistants into dominant platforms distorts competition, it could set new precedents for how messaging apps, social networks and mobile ecosystems incorporate emerging technologies. Such decisions could shape how digital innovation unfolds across Europe, balancing technological progress with a commitment to open markets and fair competition.

(Adapted from CNBC.com)