# ChatGPT Returns to WhatsApp in Europe After EU Orders Meta to Restore Rival AI Access > Source: > Published: 2026-07-14 16:48:36.532129+00:00 # ChatGPT Returns to WhatsApp in Europe After EU Orders Meta to Restore Rival AI Access - OpenAI restored ChatGPT on WhatsApp across all 30 EEA countries starting July 13, accessible via the 1-800-CHATGPT number with no account required [[1]](https://the-decoder.com/chatgpt-returns-to-whatsapp-in-europe-after-eu-forces-meta-to-open-the-door-to-rival-ai-bots/) - The European Commission issued interim measures on June 9 ordering Meta to restore free WhatsApp access for rival AI assistants within five working days [[3]](https://thenextweb.com/news/meta-whatsapp-ai-rivals-free-access-eu-dma-proposal) - Meta had banned ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Perplexity from WhatsApp in January 2026, then tried to readmit them for fees of €0.049–€0.13 per message in March [[2]](https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/05/meta-will-allow-rival-ai-chatbots-on-whatsapp-in-europe-but-for-a-fee/) - Non-compliance penalties reach up to 10% of Meta's global annual turnover, with daily fines of up to 5% of average daily turnover [[4]](https://euperspectives.eu/2026/06/commission-gives-meta-five-days-to-open-whatsapp-ai-to-competition/) - The Commission's use of interim measures marks only its third deployment of the tool in 25 years, following Broadcom in 2019 and IMS Health in 2001 [[5]](https://www.houthoff.com/insights/news/a-rare-show-offorce-commission-deploys-interim-measures-against-meta-to-safeguard-ai-competition/) OpenAI re-enabled ChatGPT on WhatsApp across the European Economic Area on July 13, restoring access to an estimated 500 million European users five months after Meta banned the rival chatbot from its messaging platform [1]. The service runs on GPT-5.5 and supports text prompts, image uploads, voice messages, and image generation through the verified 1-800-CHATGPT contact number. The return follows a June 9 order from the European Commission imposing interim measures on Meta — a rarely used enforcement tool that compelled the company to restore free access for competing AI assistants within five working days [3]. Meta had initially blocked ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Perplexity from WhatsApp on January 15, 2026, after changing its business rules in October 2025 to restrict the platform exclusively to Meta AI . [[2]](https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/05/meta-will-allow-rival-ai-chatbots-on-whatsapp-in-europe-but-for-a-fee/)When Meta proposed readmitting rivals in March for per-message fees ranging from €0.049 to €0.13 depending on the country, the Commission concluded the charges were functionally equivalent to the original ban and escalated enforcement [[2]](https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/05/meta-will-allow-rival-ai-chatbots-on-whatsapp-in-europe-but-for-a-fee/) [3]. The interim measures require Meta to maintain free access on pre-October 2025 terms for the duration of the antitrust investigation, which formally began December 4, 2025 . [[4]](https://euperspectives.eu/2026/06/commission-gives-meta-five-days-to-open-whatsapp-ai-to-competition/)## The EU Order The European Commission's June 9 interim measures represent only the third time in 25 years that Brussels has deployed the tool — after the Broadcom case in 2019 and IMS Health in 2001 [5]. The decision rests on EU abuse-of-dominance provisions rather than the Digital Markets Act, since AI assistants do not yet fall squarely within the DMA's scope . [[5]](https://www.houthoff.com/insights/news/a-rare-show-offorce-commission-deploys-interim-measures-against-meta-to-safeguard-ai-competition/)Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera framed the action as a signal of regulatory urgency: the Commission required Meta to restore access within five working days or face fines of up to 10% of its global annual turnover, with daily penalty payments of up to 5% of average daily turnover for continued non-compliance [4]. The formal antitrust investigation remains open with no public deadline for a final decision. The interim measures stay in force until that investigation concludes [4]. ## What Changed for Users EEA users — covering the 27 EU member states plus Liechtenstein, Iceland, and Norway — can now reach ChatGPT through WhatsApp by adding the verified contact at +1-800-242-8478 [1]. No ChatGPT account is required for basic use, though users can optionally link their accounts to retain conversation history and context across sessions . [[1]](https://the-decoder.com/chatgpt-returns-to-whatsapp-in-europe-after-eu-forces-meta-to-open-the-door-to-rival-ai-bots/)The WhatsApp integration runs on OpenAI's GPT-5.5 model for text and gpt-image-2 for image generation, supporting multiple languages [1]. OpenAI simultaneously expanded ChatGPT to Kakao in South Korea and Viber in other markets, broadening its third-party messaging distribution beyond WhatsApp . [[1]](https://the-decoder.com/chatgpt-returns-to-whatsapp-in-europe-after-eu-forces-meta-to-open-the-door-to-rival-ai-bots/)## The Backstory Meta's October 2025 policy change restricted WhatsApp to its own Meta AI assistant, effectively cutting off rival chatbots that had been using the WhatsApp Business API. The ban took effect January 15, 2026, removing ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Perplexity from the platform [[1]](https://the-decoder.com/chatgpt-returns-to-whatsapp-in-europe-after-eu-forces-meta-to-open-the-door-to-rival-ai-bots/) [2]. Regulators in the EU, Italy, and Brazil all launched investigations into the move, focusing on the competitive implications of a platform with over two billion global users restricting access to favor its own AI product [2]. The European Commission opened a formal probe on December 4, 2025 . [[4]](https://euperspectives.eu/2026/06/commission-gives-meta-five-days-to-open-whatsapp-ai-to-competition/)Meta's March 2026 compromise — readmitting competitors for per-message fees of €0.049 to €0.13 — failed to satisfy Brussels. The Commission determined that the pricing structure would replicate the exclusionary effect of the outright ban, particularly for services handling high message volumes [[3]](https://thenextweb.com/news/meta-whatsapp-ai-rivals-free-access-eu-dma-proposal) [5]. ## Market Context Meta shares traded at $656.51 on July 14, roughly flat on the day, with a market capitalization of approximately $1.67 trillion [6]. The stock is up about 16% over the past month but essentially flat year-to-date . [[6]](https://financialmodelingprep.com/)The case has broader implications for how dominant platforms interact with the fast-growing AI assistant market. While the DMA imposes obligations on designated gatekeepers for core platform services, the Commission's decision to use competition law signals that regulators view AI distribution as a distinct competitive concern not yet fully covered by existing digital-market rules [5]. For OpenAI, the restored access reopens a significant distribution channel. WhatsApp's approximately 500 million monthly active users in Europe represent one of the largest messaging audiences on the continent, and the no-account-required integration lowers the barrier for users who have not yet tried ChatGPT [1]. ## What's Next The Commission's antitrust investigation remains ongoing with no stated timeline for a final decision. If the Commission finds Meta violated competition rules, it could impose structural remedies or permanent behavioral obligations beyond the current interim measures [4]. The case also sets a precedent for how other platform operators handle third-party AI integrations. Apple faces similar regulatory scrutiny in Europe over AI feature rollouts, and the Commission's willingness to use interim measures suggests it will act quickly in AI-related competition disputes [5]. Outside Europe, Meta has not been required to readmit rival chatbots to WhatsApp, leaving ChatGPT's WhatsApp presence limited to the EEA for now [1]. ## Companies mentioned ## Further sources [[1] The Decoder — ChatGPT returns to WhatsApp in Europe after EU forces Meta to ope… ↗](https://the-decoder.com/chatgpt-returns-to-whatsapp-in-europe-after-eu-forces-meta-to-open-the-door-to-rival-ai-bots/) [[2] TechCrunch — Meta will allow rival AI chatbots on WhatsApp in Europe, but for a… ↗](https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/05/meta-will-allow-rival-ai-chatbots-on-whatsapp-in-europe-but-for-a-fee/) [[3] The Next Web — Meta offers rival AI chatbots a limited free pass into WhatsApp,… ↗](https://thenextweb.com/news/meta-whatsapp-ai-rivals-free-access-eu-dma-proposal) [[4] EU Perspectives — Commission gives Meta five days to open WhatsApp AI to compet… ↗](https://euperspectives.eu/2026/06/commission-gives-meta-five-days-to-open-whatsapp-ai-to-competition/) [[5] Houthoff — A rare show of force: Commission deploys interim measures against Me… ↗](https://www.houthoff.com/insights/news/a-rare-show-offorce-commission-deploys-interim-measures-against-meta-to-safeguard-ai-competition/) [[6] FMP market data for META, accessed July 14, 2026 ↗](https://financialmodelingprep.com/) The stories that matter, in one email. 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