Mark Zuckerberg’s tech empire is once again under regulatory pressure in Africa after competition authorities across 21 markets launched a formal probe into changes affecting WhatsApp’s AI ecosystem.
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Competition and Consumer Commission has opened an investigation into Meta Platforms over amendments made in October 2025 to the WhatsApp Business Solution Terms.
At the heart of the probe is whether the updated rules unfairly restrict third-party artificial intelligence providers from accessing the WhatsApp Business API, while preserving full integration for Meta’s own AI tools, including Meta AI.
In a notice issued by the regulator, the commission said it has “reasonable cause to suspect” that Meta may hold a dominant position in the common market and that the changes could “substantially lessen competition” by excluding rival AI service providers from what it described as a crucial digital gateway.
The investigation spans 21 member states, including Kenya, Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda and Zambia. Stakeholders have been invited to submit feedback before 16 March 2026, with regulators emphasising that the move marks the start of a fact-finding process, not a ruling of wrongdoing.
This is not the first time Meta has faced scrutiny in Kenya and East Africa. Kenyan authorities have previously examined major digital platforms over data protection, misinformation and labour practices. In Nigeria, the data protection regulator fined Meta over privacy violations, underscoring growing African oversight of global tech firms.
Globally, the company is also navigating regulatory headwinds. The European Commission and Italy’s competition authority have reviewed Meta’s AI integrations on WhatsApp amid concerns about potential restrictions on rival chatbot providers. In the United States, Meta has faced antitrust litigation over its broader market dominance.
For Africa’s digital economy, the stakes are high as WhatsApp remains one of the continent’s most widely used platforms for communication, commerce and customer engagement. Across COMESA’s 21 markets, millions of small businesses rely on WhatsApp Business to reach customers, while startups are increasingly building AI-driven services on top of the platform.
If regulators determine that access to WhatsApp’s business interface is being restricted in favour of Meta’s own AI tools, there is genuine concern that it could limit opportunities for African developers and startups seeking to innovate in the fast-evolving AI space.
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