Meta is reportedly negotiating with the European Commission to allow rival general-purpose AI chatbots to access WhatsApp under limited, time- and usage-bound terms. Multiple outlets say Meta introduced restrictions earlier this year, first limiting WhatsApp access to Meta’s own AI assistant, then revising the policy in March to charge other chatbots per message. According to a Meta spokesperson quoted by The Hindu and echoed by other reports, Meta’s current proposal for the European Economic Area (EEA) includes giving rival AI chatbots free access to the WhatsApp business API for one month. After the free period or once an agreed usage cap is reached, the proposal shifts to charging for access. One report also states that Meta has filed an updated European Commission proposal covering multiple rival services, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and others such as Perplexity and Anthropic, with free usage up to a threshold before fees apply. The reported aim of the discussions is to address regulatory pressure from the EU and avoid potential fines.