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Comesa’s Meta probe raises local AI bots control stakes
Meta has pushed back against the flurry of probes into its decision to lock out third party AI platforms from WhatsApp, saying it was necessary to protect the integrity of the platform.
The future of artificial intelligence (AI) use in Africa’s digital economy is under scrutiny in the wake of an investigation by the Comesa Competition and Consumer Commission (CCCC) into US tech giant Meta over changes to its messaging platform WhatsApp that may limit access for third-party AI services.
The investigation, announced February 18, follows a complaint by Uganda-based lobby AdLegal after Meta amended its WhatsApp Business Solution Terms in October 2025, barring external AI providers from using the Business Application Programming Interface (API).
