Meta Offers Free WhatsApp API Access to EU AI Rivals
Meta Platforms has announced that it will provide rival artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots in the European Union (EU) free access to its WhatsApp Business API for one month. This move aims to address regulatory concerns and avoid a potential fine from the EU’s antitrust authorities.
Last month, the European Commission signaled its intention to compel Meta to grant competing AI chatbots access to WhatsApp, a popular social messaging platform. Previously, in January 2026, Meta introduced a policy allowing only its own Meta AI assistant to operate on WhatsApp. This policy was modified in March 2026 to permit rivals to use the platform for a fee. However, the change triggered additional scrutiny and regulatory actions from the EU watchdog.
A Meta spokesperson stated that general-purpose AI chatbots operating within the European Economic Area (EEA) will be granted free access to the WhatsApp Business API for one month as part of ongoing discussions with regulators. This temporary offer seeks to ease tensions as Meta negotiates longer-term arrangements.
The EU’s case emerged following complaints from developers such as The Interaction Company of California, creators of the Poke.com AI assistant, and a Spanish competitor. Marvin von Hagen, co-founder of Poke.com, highlighted that the average cost per user surged from $0.13 to $11.04 solely due to WhatsApp API charges, raising concerns about fair competition in the AI market.
If Meta satisfactorily resolves the regulators’ concerns, it could avoid being found guilty of violations and potentially face a fine of up to 10% of its annual global revenue. Earlier interventions from regulatory bodies like Italy’s competition authority and the European Commission warned against Meta’s restrictions on third-party AI chatbots, citing the potential for marginalizing smaller competitors and harming market competition.
Meta has defended its pricing structure by citing the substantial increase in message traffic from third-party AI chatbots, which strain infrastructure designed primarily for customer support and business communications. Moreover, the company noted that it did not have a pricing framework for AI chatbot providers at the time the policies were introduced.
This temporary free access offer signals Meta’s willingness to cooperate with regulators but does not guarantee that the company will avoid further demands for permanent changes affecting third-party AI chatbot access on WhatsApp.