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Iran Conflict 2026
23JUL

Meta makes a third WhatsApp access offer

2 min read
19:27UTC

Meta's third WhatsApp interoperability offer, free to a usage threshold then fees, is under European Commission review; some rival AI assistants remain reachable.

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Key takeaway

Meta's third WhatsApp offer, free to a usage cap then fees, is under Commission review.

Meta submitted a third proposal to the European Commission on opening WhatsApp to rival AI assistants: free access up to a usage threshold, then fees. the Commission is reviewing the offer, and some rival AI chatbots remain technically reachable on WhatsApp under the existing framework.

the Commission had ordered Meta to reopen WhatsApp's interface to rival assistants under Article 102 of the Digital Markets Act in early June, the EU competition rule that bars dominant gatekeepers from locking out competitors. Meta's earlier outright-ban and per-message pricing offers were both rejected, and this freemium model is its latest attempt to meet the mandate while still charging at scale. Whether Brussels accepts it will set how much access a gatekeeper can put behind a paywall.

Deep Analysis

In plain English

WhatsApp, owned by Meta, is the most widely used messaging app in Europe. Under EU law, specifically the Digital Markets Act, Meta is required to allow rival messaging apps and AI assistants to connect to WhatsApp so that users can communicate across different platforms, the way email works across different providers. Meta has now submitted its third attempt at a plan for how this would work. Its latest offer is freemium: rival AI assistants can access WhatsApp's systems for free up to a certain usage level, then pay fees above that threshold. The EU is reviewing whether this actually counts as the open, non-discriminatory access the law requires. Some rival AI chatbots are already technically reachable on WhatsApp, but the question is whether Meta's proposed pricing structure would make it commercially viable for competitors to operate at scale.

What could happen next?
  • Risk

    If the Commission accepts the freemium structure, rival AI assistants operating at scale on WhatsApp will face API costs that Meta's own Llama assistant does not, establishing a structural competitive disadvantage within the DMA's intended interoperability framework.

  • Precedent

    A Commission approval of usage-based API pricing as DMA-compliant interoperability would establish that metered access, not unrestricted access, satisfies the gatekeeper obligation, affecting interoperability negotiations on every other DMA-designated platform.

Sources:Bruegel
Mentions:Meta →WhatsApp →European Commission →Digital Markets Act →Brussels →Department of Justice →Microsoft →
First Reported In

Update #10 · Digital euro to trilogue; Senate bars CBDC

Bruegel· 30 Jun 2026
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Causes and effects
Caused by
Brussels used antitrust to reopen WhatsApp
Meta's third WhatsApp interoperability proposal is a direct response to the Commission's June order to reopen the API to rival AI assistants.
Occurred 9 Jun 2026
Read story →
This Event
Meta makes a third WhatsApp access offer
Meta's freemium WhatsApp offer tests how far a DMA gatekeeper can charge rivals for the interoperability it is ordered to grant.
Different Perspectives
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Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Editorial standards.