Meta Lifts Suspension on European AI as Chatbot Goes Global

• Meta AI is rolling out across 41 European countries, including EU member states.
• European markets were initially excluded from the chatbot’s launch.
• Meta AI will soon be available in over 60 countries worldwide.

Eight months after saying it wouldn’t release its AI platform in the EU, Meta has reversed course.

In the coming weeks, Meta plans to roll out its AI chatbot to more European users, eventually offering the same services as in the U.S.

Meta AI Expands Into Europe

When Meta launched a suite of AI products in July 2024, it initially excluded European users, citing the “unpredictable nature of the European regulatory environment.”

The chatbot, integrated with Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, debuted in the U.K. in October 2024. Now, it is expanding to 41 more European countries, including EU member states.

Overcoming Regulatory Uncertainty

Whatever regulatory uncertainty initially prompted Meta to hold off on launching AI products in Europe, it has now overcome.

“It’s taken longer than we would have liked to get our AI technology into the hands of people in Europe as we continue to navigate its complex regulatory system,” the company said in a statement on Thursday, March 20. “But we’re glad we’re finally here,” it added.

One key challenge has been compliance with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), with legal complaints targeting Meta’s access to European user data.

Meta argues it needs to collect user data to keep its AI models competitive.

Critics, however, claim this practice violates European privacy laws by gathering personal information without active consent.

Meta AI Expands Internationally

With the planned European rollout, Meta AI will be available in over 60 countries worldwide.

The platform supports AI features in multiple languages, including Arabic, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai and Vietnamese.

“Looking ahead, it’s our ambition to make AI products available to more people around the world,” Meta said.

“We’ve continued to add new intelligent functions in the U.S.—including personalization and memory—as well as extended creative features such as AI Studio to more markets globally.”