Meta Faces Antitrust Investigations Over WhatsApp AI Policy in Europe

The European Union has launched an antitrust investigation into Meta regarding a new policy affecting WhatsApp's AI capabilities. According to Slashdot, the investigation was prompted by complaints from smaller AI developers, with EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera stating the probe aims to prevent dominant firms from abusing their market power.

The policy, announced in October, prohibits AI providers from using tools to contact customers via WhatsApp if AI is their primary service, raising concerns that this could hinder competition among AI services in the European Economic Area.

A WhatsApp spokesperson dismissed the allegations as 'baseless,' claiming the platform's API wasn't designed to support AI chatbots and that the AI market remains competitive. The investigation could potentially lead to fines of up to 10% of Meta's global revenue if found in violation of EU competition rules, following a trend of increasing scrutiny on major tech companies in Europe, as noted by CNBC.

This investigation excludes Italy, which has its proceedings related to Meta's actions. The EU's focus is on ensuring that citizens and businesses can fully benefit from technological advancements without being stifled by dominant players in the digital landscape.