The messaging app WhatsApp does not allow users to remove Meta AI from the platform. However, European Union regulators may push for users to at least be given the option to select a different, more widely used AI assistant within the app.
اضافة اعلان
The European Commission is urging Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, to allow users access to competing AI chatbots instead of limiting them exclusively to Meta AI. Otherwise, the company risks violating EU antitrust laws.
In 2023, WhatsApp began rolling out Meta AI to users in the form of a blue circular icon within the app, according to a report by the German News Agency.
The feature cannot be disabled, nor can it be replaced with other AI chatbots such as Gemini, ChatGPT, or Claude.
Last month, Meta updated its terms of service, making Meta AI the only AI assistant available on the platform.
The European Union—having previously imposed significant software changes on major U.S. technology firms accused of violating consumer protection rules—now appears determined to alter WhatsApp’s approach to AI accessibility within the bloc.
Teresa Ribera, EU Commissioner for Competition and Markets, stated: “We must safeguard effective competition in this vital field, which means we cannot allow dominant technology companies to exploit their dominance unlawfully to gain an unfair advantage.”
The European Commission, which is considering imposing interim restrictions on Meta pending a deeper investigation, added: “The Commission has informed Meta that this policy change appears, at first glance, to breach EU competition rules.”
According to the Commission, excluding AI competitors could pose a “serious and irreparable risk to competition.”
In addition, Meta is facing multiple investigations under EU digital laws, including probes into alleged data transparency shortcomings and how it handles illegal content across its platforms.
These investigations have strained relations between Brussels and Washington, with U.S. President Donald Trump and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg accusing the European Union of engaging in censorship.
In recent years, Meta has focused heavily on integrating its social media platforms into virtual reality environments, while currently trailing competitors such as Google and OpenAI in the artificial intelligence race.
— Al Arabiya
