Brussels launches new Meta antitrust probe over AI use in WhatsApp
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The news: The European Commission has launched a formal antitrust investigation into Meta’s policy on AI providers’ access to WhatsApp.
The context: The Commission wrote on Thursday that the social media company’s new policy announced in October this year prohibits AI providers from using a tool that allows businesses to communicate with customers via WhatsApp, the ‘WhatsApp Business Solution', when AI is the primary service offered.
The Commission is concerned that such new policy may prevent third party AI providers from offering their services through WhatsApp in the European Economic Area (‘EEA'), while allowing Meta’s own AI service, ‘Meta AI’ to remain accessible to users on the platform.
The investigation will cover the EEA except for Italy, to avoid an overlap with the Italian Competition Authority's ongoing proceedings for the possible imposition of interim measures concerning Meta's conduct.
A WhatsApp spokesperson told Reuters that "the claims are baseless", adding that the emergence of chatbots on its platforms "puts a strain on our systems that they were not designed to support".
The FT, citing officials, said that the EU probe will be conducted under traditional antitrust rules rather than the EU's Digital Markets Act.
What they said: Teresa Ribera, executive vice-president for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition at the European Commission said: “AI markets are booming in Europe and beyond. We must ensure European citizens and businesses can benefit fully from this technological revolution and act to prevent dominant digital incumbents from abusing their power to crowd out innovative competitors. This is why we are investigating if Meta’s new policy might be illegal under competition rules, and whether we should act quickly to prevent any possible irreparable harm to competition in the AI space.”
The sources: European Commission, FT, Reuters
