Meta Stock climbed 0.4% despite the European Union launching a formal antitrust investigation into WhatsApp’s new AI policy, which regulators fear blocks competing AI providers from reaching customers.
Meta Platforms (META), the parent company of Facebook and WhatsApp, was hit with a formal antitrust investigation by the European Union on Thursday concerning its new Artificial Intelligence (AI) policies on WhatsApp. However, the Brussels probe is not worrying investors, with shares in Meta climbing 0.4% ahead of the opening bell.
The European Commission launched the investigation into a Meta policy that prohibits competing AI providers from using a WhatsApp tool that allows businesses to communicate with their customers. Brussels is concerned this rule, adopted in October 2025, violates antitrust rules.
EU Fears Blocking of Competing AI Rivals
The core issue of the investigation is market access and competition. The European Commission stated that the new policy may be “blocking competing AI providers from reaching their customers through WhatsApp.” In contrast, Meta’s own AI service, “Meta AI,” would remain fully accessible to users on the platform.
The probe will not include Italy, which is conducting a separate investigation of its own.
Meta’s Stock Remains Unfazed by Long-Term Regulatory Risk
Wall Street analysts see little reason to worry about the stock’s performance because of the investigation. EU antitrust probes tend to be long and drawn out, and even if the trading bloc were to impose a fine, it would likely have little impact on Meta’s shares.
For perspective, the EU fined Meta 200 million euros ($234 million) in April over its data collection policies. This amount is considered “a drop in the water” for the social media company, which reported $2.71 billion in earnings over just the third quarter.
To sum up, the European Union’s antitrust investigation into Meta’s WhatsApp AI policy is a new front in the global fight over AI competition. However, investors appear completely unfazed by the regulatory risk, viewing any potential fine as negligible compared to the company’s massive quarterly earnings
Is Meta a Good Stock to Buy?
Analyst sentiment toward Meta Platforms (META) is overwhelmingly bullish, rated as a Strong Buy based on the consensus of 42 analysts tracked in the last three months. Of these ratings, 35 analysts call it a Buy, six recommend a Hold, and only one recommends a Sell.
