COMESA Investigates Meta's WhatsApp Business AI Restrictions in 21 African Markets
COMESA's competition authority opened a formal investigation into whether Meta's October 2025 updates to WhatsApp Business restrict third-party AI services while maintaining Meta's own AI access across 21 African member states. The commission says the restrictions may constitute abuse of market dominance and harm competing AI developers.
What happened
The COMESA Competition Commission announced it is investigating whether Meta Platforms Ireland Limited's October 2025 updates to WhatsApp Business solution terms unfairly restrict third-party AI service providers. The commission says the modified terms may limit competing AI service access while preserving full functionality for Meta's own AI tools, potentially constituting abuse of dominance across COMESA's 21 member states.
The investigation covers markets including Kenya, Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Zambia. The commission stated this is a fact-finding process, not evidence of wrongdoing, and invited stakeholders to submit written comments by 16 March 2026.
Reported impact
If platform access is tightly restricted regarding Meta's AI products, startups and independent developers may face difficulty reaching customers through one of Africa's most important digital gateways, according to analysts. The investigation reflects a broader shift where African regulators increasingly challenge how global tech companies deploy market power in emerging AI markets.
Index analysis
WhatsApp is widely used in Africa, serving millions of users, businesses and developers. The potential restriction could hinder innovation access if the platform becomes a closed system for Meta's AI tools.
Governance controls
African regulators have recently increased scrutiny of major digital platforms. Kenya's authorities examined platforms over data practices and misinformation concerns, while Nigeria's data protection authority previously fined Meta for privacy violations.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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