By Foo Yun Chee
BRUSSELS, May 5 (Reuters) – Meta Platforms on Tuesday sought to stave off an imminent EU order to allow rival AI chatbots free access to its social messaging site WhatsApp, as it presented its arguments to EU antitrust officials.
Meta’s request for Tuesday’s closed hearing came after the European Commission last month sent the tech giant an additional charge sheet outlining its plan. It is part of an interim measure while the EU enforcer continues its investigation into whether the company abuses its market power, which could result in a hefty fine. The Commission will decide in coming months whether to issue the order.
Meta introduced a policy on January 15 allowing only its Meta AI assistant on WhatsApp, before subsequently amending it in March, saying rivals could now use the social messaging app for a fee.
That triggered the second charge from EU regulators on top of the first charge in February related to potential temporary measures to stop Meta from blocking AI rivals.
Meta lawyer Tim Lamb and other lawyers were at the hearing in Brussels while executives in the United States were expected to follow the four hour-long proceeding online.
Meta reiterated its previous comments, saying the EU antitrust watchdog was using its power to enable some of the largest companies in the world to use the paid-for WhatsApp Business product for free.
“This means that a small bakery in France paying to use the service to take croissant orders will be picking up the tab for OpenAI. Small European businesses shouldn’t foot OpenAI’s bill,” a Meta spokesperson said.
The Commission’s Deputy Director-General for Antitrust Linsey McCallum and her director Carlota Reyners Fontana declined to comment as they headed into the hearing.
The Interaction Company of California, developer of the Poke.com AI assistant and a complainant in the case, also took part.
“Meta is seeking to monopolize the use of WhatsApp for AI services by reserving it to its own offerings and excluding competitors like us,” Felix Schlegel, co-founder and CTO of The Interaction Company of California, said ahead of the hearing.
“We welcome the Commission’s action and its consideration of interim measures. At the hearing, we will make clear that these measures are necessary and should be adopted without delay,” he said.
OpenAI and French AI startup Simone were listed as participants in the hearing, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter.
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Susan Fenton)
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