EU regulators may impose interim measures on Meta over its WhatsApp AI launch, after small firms warn the policy could harm competition ahead of its January debut.
European regulators are considering whether to impose emergency measures on Meta over the company’s plan to integrate artificial intelligence features into WhatsApp. This move has already triggered complaints from smaller rivals and raised concerns about competition in Europe’s messaging market.
Teresa Ribera, the EU’s antitrust chief, said Thursday that the Commission is assessing whether Meta’s January rollout warrants interim action — a powerful tool Brussels uses when it believes a company’s conduct may cause immediate and irreparable harm before a full investigation concludes.
Ribera, who previously opened a formal probe into Meta’s new AI policy, did not provide a timeline for a decision. However, the scrutiny highlights the EU’s growing emphasis on how Big Tech utilizes generative AI in consumer products, and whether such launches skew the playing field against smaller firms that lack comparable scale or access to data.
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She confirmed that the Commission has received detailed complaints from small businesses concerned that Meta’s AI integration could entrench its dominance by steering users and developers toward its ecosystem.
The case adds to a growing list of regulatory battles facing Meta across Europe as lawmakers attempt to draw boundaries around the use — and potential misuse — of AI in everyday digital services.
