In the evening, Beijing time, the European Commission delivered a Statement of Objections to Meta, having preliminarily concluded that Meta's practice of barring third-party AI assistants on WhatsApp is suspected of breaching EU antitrust regulations. This move could potentially impede the entry and growth of the 'AI assistant' market. Prior to Meta's response and the exercise of its right to defense, the European Commission intends to implement provisional measures to avert significant and irreparable harm to market competition.

Meta boasts a diverse range of businesses. In October 2025, it revised the terms of service for WhatsApp, mandating the exclusion of rival products with effect from January 15, 2026. The European Commission is of the opinion that Meta may wield a dominant position in the consumer communication app market and could be engaging in abusive practices, thus underscoring the urgency of adopting provisional measures. This Statement of Objections is applicable to the European Economic Area (with the exception of Italy), given that Italy has already instituted similar provisional measures against Meta in the past.