EU Commission Warns Meta WhatsApp AI Fee Breaches Antitrust Rules

The European Commission intends to order Meta Platforms to reinstate rival artificial intelligence assistants on its WhatsApp messaging service. This comes after the U.S. tech giant imposed an access fee for these assistants.

Credit: UNSPLASH

The Commission notified Meta that its revised policy appears to breach EU competition rules. It believes the policy still excludes third-party AI assistants from WhatsApp.

Interim measures will remain in place until the investigation concludes. The Commission imposes these measures when it has concerns about damage to competition.

To prevent serious and irreparable harm to competition, the Commission plans to order Meta to reinstate access for third-party AI assistants. This access would be under the same conditions as before 15 October 2025.

Meta previously informed the Commission that it would allow rival AI assistants on WhatsApp for one year, contingent on a fee. This followed initial plans to ban third-party AI chatbots from WhatsApp Business entirely.

A Meta spokesperson stated that the European Commission is proposing to use its regulatory powers to enable some of the world's largest companies to use the paid WhatsApp Business product for free.

The spokesperson explained that a small bakery in France paying to use the service to take croissant orders would effectively be subsidising companies like OpenAI. Small European businesses, the spokesperson added, should not bear OpenAI's costs.

The Commission's investigation has also expanded to Italy. The Italian competition watchdog opened its own probe last year.

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• The European Commission plans to order Meta Platforms to allow rival AI assistants on WhatsApp without an access fee.

• The Commission believes Meta's current fee-based policy for third-party AI assistants breaches EU competition rules.

• Meta argues the fee is necessary, stating that waiving it would shift costs from large companies like OpenAI to small businesses.

Source: REUTERS

EU Age Verification App Available Amid Social Media Access Push

The European Union’s age verification application for online platforms is ready and will soon be available for use. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the app will help address concerns about children’s access to social media. Member states are actively pursuing plans to limit minors’ social media engagement.

Credit: UNSPLASH

A growing number of European nations are considering their own restrictions, following Australia’s social media ban for children. Concerns are mounting over social media’s impact on the health and safety of minors.

“We are moving ahead with full speed and determination on the enforcement of our European rules,” von der Leyen said at a press conference in Brussels. She added, “We are holding accountable those online platforms that do not protect our kids enough.”

The app will be compatible with both mobile devices and computers, von der Leyen explained. Users will upload their passport or ID card to confirm their age anonymously.

“This app gives parents, teachers, caretakers a powerful tool to protect children,” von der Leyen stated. She emphasised, “Because we will have zero tolerance for companies that do not respect our children’s rights.”

At least a dozen European countries, including Britain and Norway, have enacted or are considering legislation. These laws typically set minimum age limits, often between 13 and 16 years, for social media usage.

Speaking at the same press conference, the EU’s digital chief Henna Virkkunen outlined plans to establish a European coordination mechanism. This mechanism aims to ensure age verification is implemented consistently across various national schemes.

The Commission has been developing a harmonised digital verification system since last year. Governments face technical challenges in controlling children’s access to restricted online content.

For instance, Australia saw a significant increase in virtual private network (VPN) downloads after introducing its social media ban. Users employed VPNs to bypass the measure and access restricted platforms.

A senior Commission official acknowledged that the EU’s age verification system can be bypassed via a VPN. However, the official noted that the initiative is not aimed at policing people online.

“The app is the kind of barrier that avoids unintended exposure of kids,” the official said. While no EU-wide binding legislation has been adopted yet, the European Parliament approved a resolution report in November calling for a minimum age of 16 for social media access across all member states.

A final decision on potential EU legislation will be made once a special panel on child safety online files its recommendations this summer, a senior Commission official added.

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• The European Union’s age verification app for online platforms is ready and nearing release.

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated the app empowers parents and educators to protect children.

• The app allows anonymous age confirmation through passport or ID card uploads.

Source: REUTERS

Chinese Firms Drive Quadruped Robot Market Growth, Revenue Targets

Chinese robotics companies are increasingly focusing on quadruped robots as a primary revenue driver. This trend is highlighted by AgiBot’s recent decision to establish a new subsidiary, AgiQuad, and Amap’s forthcoming launch of a quadruped model.

Credit: AGIBOT

Shanghai-based AgiQuad, a new separate subsidiary under AgiBot, has targeted 500 million yuan (US$73 million) in revenue for 2026. By 2030, it aimed to reach 10 billion yuan in revenue and 300,000 units in annual shipments, according to a report by the official media outlet Securities Times.

Qiu Heng, chief operating officer of the new subsidiary, stated that AgiBot’s move was intended to drive large-scale growth for the unit. Qiu said at a media briefing last week that the unit would not “live in the shadow of the humanoid robot giant.”

AgiBot’s original portfolio included four divisions: the Yuanzheng commercial humanoid, the wheeled and dual-armed Genie, the compact Lingxi humanoid for consumers, and the AgiQuad quadruped unit.

Qiu noted a strong demand for AgiQuad’s products, stating that the company was struggling to maintain stock. He was quoted by Shanghai Securities Times as saying, “Our mid-sized quadruped robots are not here today because they are completely sold out, and there is no stock left in the warehouse.”

The booming quadruped robot market is also attracting new entrants. Alibaba Group Holding’s digital mapping platform Amap is set to release a quadruped robot, the first such product from the e-commerce giant, according to a Tuesday report by Sina Tech.

Hangzhou-based Unitree and Deep Robotics have long dominated the sector, establishing their market presence through four-legged machines. Unitree led the global market with 32.4% in 2024, followed by Deep Robotics at 18.9%, according to IDC data.

Unitree’s quadruped robot profitability has improved, with gross margins rising to 55.5% in the first nine months of 2025, up from 42.4% in 2022, per its initial public offering prospectus. The company sold 17,946 quadruped units in the first three quarters of 2025, generating 490 million yuan in revenue.

Deep Robotics, the second biggest player, was estimated to have shipped around 10,000 units last year, according to the report by Shanghai Securities Times.

The global quadruped robot market was valued at approximately US$180 million in 2024, with total shipments nearing 20,000 units, IDC reported. The research firm estimated that in 2026 China’s quadruped robot market value would exceed US$700 million.

Qiu predicted that the Chinese market for quadruped robot hardware could reach approximately 50 billion yuan by 2030. When including the broader supply chain, software, and services, this figure is expected to hit 100 billion yuan, Securities Times reported.

Consumer models, primarily for education and entertainment, comprised 72.1% of shipments in 2024, according to IDC. However, commercial robots commanded significantly higher per-unit value due to more advanced technical requirements, according to IDC.

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• Chinese firms are increasingly banking on quadruped robots as key revenue drivers.

• AgiBot's new subsidiary, AgiQuad, targets US$73 million in revenue for 2026.

• Unitree and Deep Robotics currently lead the global quadruped robot market.

Source: SCMP