Meta faces antitrust charges in Europe, rolls out WhatsApp calls on Web browser

WASHINGTON, 9th February, 2026 (WAM) — The European Commission has formally accused Meta of violating EU antitrust rules over its recent policy changes on WhatsApp.

EU regulators object to Meta’s policy, introduced in mid-January, that limits artificial intelligence services on WhatsApp to its own “Meta AI” assistant while restricting access for competing AI tools. The Commission has threatened to impose interim measures to prevent potential irreversible harm to competition.

Reports indicate that Italy has been excluded from the EU’s broader case because its own competition authority is conducting a separate investigation and has already taken provisional steps against Meta’s AI integration in WhatsApp. Brazilian antitrust authorities have also opened a similar probe.

In related product updates, Meta has begun rolling out voice and video calling features directly within WhatsApp Web, allowing encrypted calls from the browser.

Initial support focuses on one-to-one calls, with future updates expected to include group calls for up to 32 participants, scheduling tools, and call links.