EU orders Meta to open WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots

The European Union has ordered Meta to open WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots, a move that could let companies such as OpenAI plug their services into the messaging app, according to the BBC. Meta has called the decision “regulatory overreach” and says it plans to challenge the order.

The ruling is the latest sign that EU regulators are pushing major tech platforms to make their services more interoperable, or easier for competitors to connect with. In practical terms, that could mean users may eventually be able to access third-party AI assistants inside WhatsApp rather than being limited to Meta’s own tools.

Meta argues the decision would give large AI companies freer access to WhatsApp’s audience and infrastructure, raising concerns for the company about competition, privacy and control over the platform. The BBC reports that Meta sees the order as part of a broader pattern of aggressive European regulation aimed at Big Tech.

The issue matters because WhatsApp has more than a billion users worldwide and is one of Meta’s most important products. Any change to how the app works could affect how people communicate with AI services, how quickly new chatbot features spread, and how rival companies compete in consumer messaging.