European Union competition regulators have stepped up scrutiny of Meta Platforms, accusing the company of blocking AI rivals from WhatsApp and warning that interim antitrust measures could soon follow.

On Monday, the European Commission formally charged Meta with breaching EU competition rules after the company implemented a policy on January 15 that allows only its own AI assistant, Meta AI, to operate on WhatsApp.

According to the Commission, the move to restrict access amounts to blocking AI rivals from WhatsApp, potentially harming competition in the fast-growing artificial intelligence market. The EU executive, which serves as the bloc’s antitrust watchdog, said it has sent a formal statement of objections — effectively a charge sheet — outlining the alleged violations.

“The Commission therefore intends to impose interim measures to prevent this policy change from causing serious and irreparable harm on the market,” the regulator said in a statement, adding that any final decision will depend on Meta’s response and its rights of defence.

The warning signals that EU regulators are prepared to act swiftly if they conclude that blocking AI rivals from WhatsApp could distort competition before the case reaches a final ruling. The Commission emphasized that its decision on whether to impose interim measures will be based on Meta’s reply to the objections raised.