In January 2026, AdLegal International filed a formal competition complaint before the COMESA Competition & Consumer Protection Commission against Meta Platforms Inc. and Meta Platforms Ireland Limited. The complaint challenged amendments to the WhatsApp Business Solution Terms introduced in October 2025, which exclude third-party artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot providers from accessing WhatsApp across the COMESA region while preferentially integrating Meta’s own AI service.

AdLegal contended that this conduct amounts to an abuse of dominance, restricts cross-border digital trade, forecloses competition in emerging AI markets, and risks irreversible harm to innovation and consumer choice within the Common Market.

On 17 February 2026, we achieved a significant milestone when the Commission issued a Notice of Investigation into Meta’s conduct following our complaint and detailed submissions. The Commission found a prima facie case warranting investigation, marking what has been reported by the media as a historic development in African competition enforcement.

For the first time, a regional competition authority in Africa formally initiated an investigation into conduct arising within digital markets, and specifically the rapidly emerging AI markets, on the basis of a complaint advancing competition concerns in this space. The decision represents an important step towards bringing competition law enforcement to bear on the evolving challenges posed by Big Tech and artificial intelligence markets in Africa.