• Super Admin
• 06 Mar, 2026

AI rivals will be allowed on WhatsApp for a year, Meta said, aiming to head off a possible order from EU antitrust regulators. AI rivals will be allowed on WhatsApp for a year, Meta said, aiming to head off a possible order from EU antitrust regulators. be allowed on WhatsApp for a year, Meta Platforms said, aiming to head off a possible temporary order from EU antitrust regulators after complaints from competitors shut out of the messaging service. The European Commission, the EU's competition enforcer, last month threatened interim measures to prevent potential serious and irreparable harm to rivals after Meta blocked them from WhatsApp, mirroring moves by Italy's watchdog in December. Meta has now told the commission it will let rival AI chatbots access WhatsApp for a fee. The company barred them on 15 January, allowing only its Meta AI assistant on the service."For the next 12 months, we'll support general-purpose AI chatbots using the WhatsApp Business API in Europe in response to the European Commission's regulatory process," a Meta spokesman said. "We believe that this removes the need for any immediate intervention as it gives the European Commission the time it needs to conclude its investigation." The commission said it was analysing how Meta's changes might affect both its interim measures review and its broader antitrust investigation. Meta has previously said the rise of chatbots on its platforms strains its systems and that other channels exist for AI providers, including app stores, search engines, e-mail services, partnership integrations and operating systems.Meta allowed rival chatbots onto WhatsApp in Italy in January after an order from the Italian antitrust authority, which is still investigating. The Interaction Company of California, developer of the"What Meta presents as good-faith compliance is in reality the opposite. The company is now introducing vexatious pricing for AI providers that makes it just as impossible to operate on WhatsApp as the outright ban did," its CEO Marvin von Hagen said. Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources. Chery 'open' to KP31-based Fortuner and Everest rivalChery has not closed the door on the idea of its incoming KP31 bakkie spawning a Toyota Fortuner and Ford Everest-rivalling SUV. Read more " Conservative Anglicans to Elect Rival Leader, Deepening Communion SplitA conservative Anglican group, GAFCON, plans to elect a leader to rival the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, due to theological disagreements on issues like women's ordination and LGBTQ+ inclusion, potentially widening the existing split within the Anglican Communion. The election is set to take place in Nigeria. Read more " Ramovic beats Mokwena in cup action againFormer TS Galaxy coach Sead Ramovic got one up over his rival Rulani Mokwena on Tuesday as Chabab Belouizdad knocked out league leaders Mouloudia Alger in the Algerian Cup quarterfinal. Read more " Macpherson flags systemic failures after nine die in Ormonde building collapse'We cannot allow lives to be lost because of greed and reckless behaviour,' says oversight committee chair Carol Phiri Read more " Haibot brings AI-powered IT help-desk to WhatsApp, cutting ticket backlogs at intakeThe conversational AI agent manages the IT support journey - from intake through resolution and feedback - in a single WhatsApp conversation. Read more " Gafcon pulls back from electing rival to Archbishop of Canterbury as head of Anglican ChurchThe group had said it would choose a new leader with the same title as Sarah Mullally, the first female head of the Church. Read more " Source: https://za.headtopics.com/news/meta-to-allow-rival-ai-chatbots-on-whatsapp-amid-eu-pressure-80625838