The European Union has given Meta five days to let competing AI chatbots connect to WhatsApp, escalating a regulatory push to break open the messaging giant's walled garden. The order, issued by the European Commission, demands that the company provide technical access so that third-party chatbot services can interoperate with WhatsApp's infrastructure.
What the order requires
Under the Digital Markets Act, which designates Meta as a gatekeeper for core platform services, the company must allow rival chatbot providers to send and receive messages through WhatsApp. The five-day deadline means Meta has until early next week to comply or face potential fines that could reach up to 10% of its global annual revenue.
Regulators argue that the move is necessary to foster competition in the fast-growing AI chatbot market. WhatsApp currently restricts its messaging protocol to its own services, effectively blocking competitors from reaching its roughly 2 billion users in the EU and worldwide.
Meta's response
Meta has not yet publicly responded to the order. The company has previously argued that opening its messaging platform to third-party chatbots could compromise end-to-end encryption and user privacy. But the European Commission stressed that the Digital Markets Act requires a balance between competition and security, and that Meta must provide a solution that satisfies both.
What this means for users
If Meta complies, WhatsApp users in the EU could soon see options to interact with AI chatbots from other companies directly within the app. That could include chatbots for customer service, productivity, or entertainment — all without leaving WhatsApp. The timeline for actual rollout remains unclear, because Meta must first build the technical interface to allow such interoperability.
The order does not specify which chatbot providers would gain access first, but the Commission has hinted that smaller European developers should benefit. The five-day deadline is unusually short, suggesting regulators want to send a clear signal ahead of a broader push to enforce the Digital Markets Act across all gatekeeper services.
Next steps
Meta must submit a compliance plan to the Commission by the end of the five-day period. If the company fails to act, the Commission can open a formal investigation and impose interim measures — including fines that could run into the billions. The case marks one of the first direct tests of how the Digital Markets Act applies to AI and messaging interoperability, a question that will likely shape regulatory battles in Brussels for years to come.
