Meta Ordered by EU to Halt WhatsApp Curbs on AI Rivals (1)

Meta Platforms Inc. has been ordered by the European Union to temporarily halt policies that allegedly block rival AI firms from operating on its WhatsApp messaging service for businesses.

The European Commission said Tuesday that Meta must “restore free access to WhatsApp for rival general purpose AI assistants” within five working days in order to “prevent serious and irreparable damage to competition.” Meta vowed to appeal the measure.

The order comes after Meta introduced changes seen by critics as unfairly preventing rival AI providers from offering their business services through WhatsApp. The escalation marks a further frustration for Meta in ...