Key Points
* The probe will examine whether Meta's new policy on allowing AI providers' access to WhatsApp may breach EU competition rules.
* A WhatsApp spokesperson told CNBC the claims were "baseless."
* Fines for breaking the EU's antitrust rules can reach as much as 10% of a company's annual revenue.
Meta has been hit with an EU antitrust investigation over its use of AI features in WhatsApp, as the European bloc continues to ramp up challenges to US big tech giants.
The probe will examine whether Meta's new policy on allowing AI providers' access to WhatsApp may breach EU competition rules, Brussels said in a statement Thursday morning.
A new policy announced by Meta in October prohibited AI providers from using a tool allowing businesses to contact customers via WhatsApp when AI is the main service offered, the European Commission said.
While businesses may still use AI tools for functions like customer support, the bloc was concerned the new policy might "prevent third party AI providers from offering their services through WhatsApp in the European Economic Area (EEA)," it added.
"The claims are baseless," a WhatsApp spokesperson told CNBC in a statement, adding that the app's application programming interface (API) was not designed to support AI chatbots and "puts a strain on our systems."
"The AI space is highly competitive and people have access to the services of their choice in any number of ways, including app stores, search engines, email services, partnership integrations and operating systems," the company added.
It comes months on from the Commission fining Google 2.95 billion euros ($3.45 billion) for breaching antitrust rules around online advertising. In April, Apple was fined 500 million euros after being found to have breached anti-steering obligations. The same month, Meta was hit with a 200 million euros fine for breaching obligations to give consumers the choice of a service that uses less of their personal data.
Fines for breaking the EU's antitrust rules can reach as much as 10% of a company's annual revenue. There are no dates set for the antitrust investigation to close, but previous cases have run on for years.
"We must ensure European citizens and businesses can benefit fully of this technological revolution and act to prevent dominant digital incumbents from abusing their power to crowd out innovative competitors," said the bloc's Commissioner for Competition Teresa Ribera.
The investigation will cover the entire EEA apart from Italy, to avoid an overlap with its own ongoing proceedings for the possible imposition of interim measures concerning Meta's conduct.
U.S. President Donald Trump has previously threatened the EU with an investigation that could lead to tariffs for imposing fines and regulation on the country's tech giants.
"As I have said before, my Administration will NOT allow these discriminatory actions to stand," he said following the EU's Google fine in September.