This photograph taken on January 12, 2023, in Toulouse, southwestern France shows a smartphone and a computer screen displaying the logos of WhatsApp app and its parent company Meta. LIONEL BONAVENTURE / AFP
The EU said on Thursday, December 4, that it has opened an antitrust probe to determine whether Meta's rollout of AI features in WhatsApp breaches the bloc's competition rules. In announcing the probe, the European Commission said it was concerned that a newly announced Meta "policy may prevent third-party AI providers from offering their services through WhatsApp."
The move against the US giant marks the latest by the 27-nation EU to rein in Big Tech, in the face of strong pushback by the administration of US President Donald Trump. It falls under the bloc's antitrust rules rather than its newly-reinforced digital laws, which Trump has accused of unfairly targeting American firms – threatening retaliation.
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Washington pressures EU to ease digital regulations
