The European Commission has ordered Meta's popular messaging service, WhatsApp, to grant free access to rival artificial intelligence (AI) developers until the end of an ongoing antitrust investigation.
"In rapidly evolving markets, competition can be lost long before a final decision is adopted," said EU competition czar Teresa Ribera on Tuesday.
The measure will "will safeguard competition in the growing market for AI assistants, by preserving a key entry point to reach consumers in Europe – WhatsApp – and allowing AI companies to innovate, scale up and reach their full potential," the European Commission vice president said.
Parent company Meta, which also owns Facebook and Instagram, has to comply with the order within five working days, the commission said.
The EU's executive arm has been investigating Meta for alleged breaches of EU competition law after the US tech giant announced last year it would restrict access to the WhatsApp messaging service for rival AI providers.
