🧑⚖️ WhatsApp's AI Bot Ban Could Cost Meta Billions
New rules introduced in October mean that ChatGPT, Copilot, and Perplexity must be removed from WhatsApp by January 15. Company support bots and similar business-focused tools will still be allowed.
The impact will be huge: ChatGPT alone had over 50 million users inside WhatsApp—and that's just one of the AI assistants. After the ban, the only AI assistant left in the app will be Meta AI, the company's own bot.
The European Commission says this may violate competition rules and opened a formal investigation into Meta on December 4.
Meta denies the allegations. The company explains that WhatsApp's API was built for business use and isn't designed to handle the high demand generated by general-purpose AI bots. In response to competition concerns, Meta further clarifies that users who prefer ChatGPT or similar bots can still access them by downloading separate apps.
The investigation may take several years. If regulators find Meta at fault, the company could face a fine of up to 10% of its global annual revenue—roughly $16 billion today.
A similar antitrust case previously cost Apple €1.8 billion, after the company restricted developers from informing users about cheaper music-subscription options outside the App Store. The Commission also forced Apple to allow third-party app stores on iPhones for EU customers.
@hiaimediaen
