Meta AI rival chatbots gets free WhatsApp access

Meta, the Mark Zuckerberg-founded company and tech giant, is all set to give its rival AI chatbots free access to the social messaging service "WhatsApp."

Meta Platforms has offered to give rival AI chatbots, including OpenAI, free access to its social messaging service WhatsApp ‌in Europe but will start charging them once they hit a limit.

The details of the offer come as tech and social media giant that also controls Facebook looks to appease increasingly tough EU regulators that are tightening the screws on Big Tech.

Meta submitted its proposal to EU antitrust regulators last week after the European Commission said it was considering an order requiring the firm to provide rivals access to WhatsApp until it wraps up an ongoing investigation into the case. Neither side gave any details of the offer.

Interested parties had until May 18 to provide feedback to the Commission before it decides whether to accept Meta's offer, the people said.

The offer would see Meta start charging rival AI chatbots once they hit a limit in terms of messages sent to users, the two sources added.

The wider case underscores how the EU enforcer is looking to ensure competition in new digital markets by preventing Big Tech from amassing market power or thwarting small rivals.

Meta reiterated earlier comments, saying it has given rival AI chatbots in Europe free access to WhatsApp's business Application Programming Interface (API) for a month while it seeks to resolve the issue with EU regulators. An API is a type of software interface that determines how two software systems will interact.

Smaller rivals, however, said they were unimpressed.

"Unfortunately, Meta's current proposal is far from resolving any of the competition concerns identified in this case," The Interaction Company of California said.