Urgent EU measure: WhatsApp must allow other AI chatbots
Good prospects for ChatGPT and co: WhatsApp must offer other AI chatbots free and unrestricted access again. Meta had restricted this in favour of its own meta chatbot.
Meta's chatbot policy has come under scrutiny from the authorities. The company must allow competing suppliers of AI chatbots free access to WhatsApp. With a corresponding order, the authority is already intervening during ongoing competition proceedings.
The focus is on the WhatsApp Business Platform. This interface allowed companies and developers to integrate their own AI services directly into WhatsApp. However, Meta had changed the conditions and significantly restricted access for external AI suppliers. While third-party suppliers could only offer their services to a limited extent and for a fee, Meta's own AI assistant remained available in WhatsApp.
In the opinion of the EU Commission, this practice could be an abuse of a dominant market position. In concrete terms, this means that Meta is using its strong position in the messenger market to create advantages for its own sales and to slow down competitors.
WhatsApp compromise not enough for the EU
The Commission argues that messenger services have become an important distribution channel for many AI suppliers. If you are not represented on a platform with billions of users, you potentially lose reach and access to new customers.
Meta sought a compromise in vain: both the proposal to grant rival AI suppliers access to the affected interfaces for a fee and a time-limited free use of the APIs were not enough for the EU. According to their assessment, the proposed fees would have represented a significant hurdle for many suppliers. Instead, Brussels is now demanding that Meta restore the previous conditions. Competitors should once again be able to integrate their AI services into WhatsApp free of charge.
Such «interim measures» are a drastic measure. The Commission only uses them if it sees an immediate threat to competition and fears that subsequent decisions could come too late. The current injunction is provisional and is intended to remain in place until the proceedings are concluded or another decision is taken.
Meta criticised the EU Commission's decision and announced that it would take legal action against it. According to the company, AI suppliers have numerous other options for distributing their services. Meta also argues that the measure will primarily benefit other major competitors.
However, there is a threat of drastic fines: if Meta does not implement the Commission's requirements or the ongoing proceedings lead to a breach of competition law, fines of up to ten per cent of a company's global annual turnover could be imposed.
I've been tinkering with digital networks ever since I found out how to activate both telephone channels on the ISDN card for greater bandwidth. As for the analogue variety, I've been doing that since I learned to talk. Though Winterthur is my adoptive home city, my heart still bleeds red and blue.
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