EU investigating Meta over policy change that bans rival AI chatbots from WhatsApp

Meta’s determination to service lone its AI chatbot, Meta AI, to WhatsApp users isn’t sitting good with the contention regulators successful Europe. The European Commission connected Thursday said it is launching an antitrust probe into Meta’s determination to prohibition different AI companies from utilizing WhatsApp’s concern tools to connection their ain AI chatbots to users connected the app.

WhatsApp successful October changed its concern API policy to prohibition general-purpose chatbots from the chat app, saying that the API isn’t designed to beryllium a level for the organisation of chatbots. The argumentation change, which goes into effect successful January, would impact the availability of AI chatbots from the likes of OpenAI, Perplexity, and Poke connected the app.

Notably, this determination doesn’t impact businesses that are utilizing AI to service customers connected WhatsApp. For instance, a retailer moving an AI-powered lawsuit work bot won’t beryllium barred from utilizing the API. Only AI chatbots similar ChatGPT are prohibited from being distributed via the API.

In its statement, the EU’s enforcement limb said it was acrophobic that the argumentation whitethorn “prevent third-party AI providers from offering their services done WhatsApp successful the European Economic Area (‘EEA’).”

“As a effect of the caller policy, competing AI providers whitethorn beryllium blocked from reaching their customers done WhatsApp. On the different hand, Meta’s ain AI work ‘Meta AI’ would stay accessible to users connected the platform,” the Commission wrote.

“AI markets are booming successful Europe and beyond. We indispensable guarantee European citizens and businesses tin payment afloat from this technological gyration and enactment to forestall ascendant integer incumbents from abusing their powerfulness to assemblage retired innovative competitors,” Teresa Ribera, enforcement vice-president for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition astatine the European Commission, said successful a statement.

“This is wherefore we are investigating if Meta’s caller argumentation mightiness beryllium amerciable nether contention rules, and whether we should enactment rapidly to forestall immoderate imaginable irreparable harm to contention successful the AI space.”

If Meta is recovered blameworthy of breaching EU’s antitrust rules, it whitethorn beryllium fined up to 10% of its planetary yearly revenue, and the Commission whitethorn enforce further measures connected the company.

Meta did not instantly instrumentality a petition for comment.