EU Orders Meta to Reopen WhatsApp Business API to Rival AI Chatbots

The European Commission has issued interim measures requiring Meta to restore third-party AI access to the WhatsApp Business API within five days, according to Decrypt. The order targets access for rival AI chatbots, while Meta has called the move “regulatory overreach.”

The development matters because WhatsApp is a major distribution channel for business messaging, and access to its Business API can shape how AI chatbot companies reach users and customers. For readers following the AI and platform economy, the case highlights how European regulators are scrutinizing gatekeeper-style control over digital infrastructure.

The order focuses on interim measures, meaning the Commission is requiring a near-term change while the broader regulatory dispute continues. The key practical effect, based on the source material, is that Meta must restore third-party AI access to the WhatsApp Business API within the stated five-day window.

Meta’s objection frames the order as an overstep by regulators. The clash adds to a wider policy debate over how much control large technology platforms should have over access to their services when third-party AI products depend on those channels.

For crypto and Web3 readers, the case is relevant as another example of regulators testing how platform rules apply to emerging software markets. It does not directly change crypto market rules, but it may influence how AI, messaging, and app distribution policies evolve in Europe.