Tech giant Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, is facing renewed regulatory scrutiny in Africa after competition authorities across Eastern and Southern Africa launched a formal probe into recent changes to WhatsApp Business rules.
The investigation was opened by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Competition and Consumer Commission, the watchdog for the 21-member Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
Regulators are examining whether updates introduced in October 2025 by Meta Platforms Ireland Limited to the WhatsApp Business Solution Terms unfairly disadvantage third-party artificial intelligence providers.
According to the commission, the revised terms could potentially restrict access for competing AI services while preserving full functionality for Meta’s in-house AI tools.
If confirmed, such a structure may amount to an abuse of market dominance within the regional bloc, which includes key digital economies such as Kenya, Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda and Zambia.
Authorities emphasised that the probe marks the beginning of a fact-finding process rather than a conclusion of wrongdoing.
The commission said it will evaluate both the conduct and its broader market implications before reaching a final decision. Stakeholders have been invited to submit written feedback ahead of the March 16, 2026 deadline.
The development adds to mounting regulatory pressure on Meta across Africa and globally.
In Kenya, authorities have previously scrutinised major digital platforms over concerns related to data governance and misinformation.
Nigeria’s data protection regulator have also sanctioned Meta in the past over privacy violations.
Beyond Africa, Meta is navigating similar regulatory reviews in Europe.
The European Commission and Italy’s competition authority have assessed the company’s AI integration on WhatsApp amid concerns that rival chatbot providers could be restricted from effectively competing on the platform.
The outcome of the COMESA investigation could carry significant implications for Africa’s digital economy.
WhatsApp remains one of the continent’s most widely used communication and business tools, serving millions of enterprises, developers and consumers.
Analysts warn that tighter control over AI access on the platform could make it more difficult for startups and independent developers to compete in one of Africa’s most critical digital marketplaces.
The probe signals a broader shift in regulatory posture, as African competition authorities increasingly assert oversight over how global technology firms deploy their market power in emerging AI ecosystems.
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