Europe opened new fronts in its regulatory crackdown on Big Tech. Brussels ordered Meta to reverse a block on third-party AI assistants on WhatsApp, arguing that the tech giant was using its dominance to favor its own AI services; it follows antitrust cases against Google and Apple, and an extant €200 million fine that Meta is appealing. The EU is also threatening to regulate smart glasses, arguing that they breach privacy laws.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said its versions were “some of the fastest-growing consumer electronics in history,” but critics have complained about being filmed without consent. The rows will raise US-European tensions, with Washington long arguing that EU regulations unfairly target American tech firms.