WhatsApp faces European antitrust investigation over artificial intelligence

The European Union has launched an antitrust probe into WhatsApp's artificial quality policy

LONDON -- WhatsApp faces an antitrust probe successful the European Union, wherever regulators said Thursday that they're looking into the messaging service's artificial quality policy.

The European Commission said it opened the ceremonial probe due to the fact that of concerns astir WhatsApp's determination to bounds entree for third-party AI providers.

WhatsApp, owned by Facebook genitor Meta Platforms, rolled retired its AI chatbot diagnostic for European Union users successful March aft delays.

The Commission, which is the bloc's enforcement arm, said a caller argumentation update could mean that rival AI companies are blocked from offering their AI assistants connected the platform, portion Meta's chatbot work remains accessible to users.

Meta didn't respond instantly to a petition for comment.

Teresa Ribera, the commission's vice president overseeing contention affairs, said the bloc wants to forestall Big Tech companies from boxing retired innovative competitors.

“This is wherefore we are investigating if Meta’s caller argumentation mightiness beryllium amerciable nether contention rules, and whether we should enactment rapidly to forestall immoderate imaginable irreparable harm to contention successful the AI space,” she said successful a property statement.

The probe volition screen each of the EU's 27 countries but for Italy, wherever authorities person already opened their ain abstracted probe.

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