On June 9, 2026, the European Commission ordered Meta to restore free WhatsApp access for competing general-purpose AI assistants while its antitrust investigation continues.
That sounds simple, but the headline is easy to overread.
The measure does not mean that every third-party assistant is automatically available on every WhatsApp account. It is regional, temporary, and focused on a specific distribution path: competing general-purpose AI assistants using the WhatsApp Business API.
The short answer
Can third-party AI assistants use WhatsApp in Europe again?
