The Competition Authority opened an investigation against Meta due to the Meta AI service integrated into WhatsApp. The investigation covers whether Meta blocked third-party productive AI chatbots and assistants from providing services on WhatsApp while adding its own AI service to WhatsApp. The Board also decided to impose interim measures along with the investigation. The Competition Authority stepped in for Meta AI in WhatsApp.
The Competition Authority announced that an investigation was opened into the economic integrity of Meta Platforms, Inc., Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, WhatsApp LLC and Meta Platforms İstanbul Bilişim Hizmetleri Limited Şirketi. The investigation is being carried out within the scope of Article 6 of the Law on the Protection of Competition No. 4054. The Board decided to open an investigation as a result of the preliminary investigation to determine whether Meta violated Article 6 of the Law No.
4054. The decision was taken by the Competition Board’s decision dated 14 May 2026 and numbered 26-18/536-M. The announcement was published on June 5, 2026. Meta AI is at the center of the investigation. The Competition Authority is examining the possibility of Meta integrating its artificial intelligence service called Meta AI into WhatsApp and preventing third-party artificial intelligence providers from providing services via WhatsApp.
The file focuses directly on how competition is affected in the artificial intelligence services market within WhatsApp. According to the institution’s statement, during the preliminary investigation process, findings were obtained regarding behaviors that prevent third-party general-purpose productive artificial intelligence chatbots and assistants from offering artificial intelligence services as a primary service over WhatsApp.
The Competition Authority evaluated these behaviors as serious findings indicating a competition violation within the scope of Article 6 of Law No. 4054. The Competition Board decided to implement interim measures while the investigation process continues. This decision will remain valid until the final decision is made. The Board, in order to prevent irreparable damages, Article 9 of Law No. 4054. It has activated the provisional measure mechanism in accordance with the fourth paragraph of the article.
Within the scope of the provisional measure, Meta has to create conditions that enable third-party general-purpose productive artificial intelligence chat robots and assistants to provide artificial intelligence services as a primary service via WhatsApp. These conditions will be established in a way that does not make it difficult actually and economically to provide the services in question. Meta was also given time in the Competition Authority’s decision.
If the obligations are not fulfilled within 1 month from the notification of the reasoned interim measure decision, an administrative fine will be imposed on Meta in accordance with Article 17 of Law No. 4054. The investigation decision does not mean the final decision that Meta has committed a violation. At the end of the investigation, the Competition Board will decide whether Meta violated Article 6 of Law No. 4054.
The interim measure will be implemented to prevent third-party productive artificial intelligence services from being blocked via WhatsApp until the investigation is concluded. WhatsApp, as one of Meta’s largest communication platforms, reaches billions of users worldwide. The integration of Meta AI into WhatsApp has opened a new area for the use of artificial intelligence assistants through messaging applications. The Competition Authority’s investigation will examine the impact of this integration on rival artificial intelligence providers.
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