On December 4 (local time), the European Commission released a statement announcing the launch of a formal antitrust investigation into a recent policy implemented by a U.S.-based Metaverse Platform Company. This policy restricts artificial intelligence (AI) service providers' access to WhatsApp, a popular instant messaging app owned by WhatsApp Inc. (a subsidiary of the Metaverse Platform Company). The investigation aims to determine whether this move breaches EU competition laws.

The European Commission has expressed concerns that the Metaverse Platform Company's new policy could prevent third-party AI service providers from delivering services to users through WhatsApp within the European Economic Area (EEA). Such restrictions, if confirmed through the investigation, may constitute a violation of EU regulations that prohibit companies from abusing their dominant market positions to stifle competition.