Italy Launches Antitrust Investigation into Meta's AI Integration in WhatsApp

Italy says Meta may be violating law with AI in WhatsApp

Competiton regulator smells abuse of a dominant market position, Zuckercorp claims all is well Meta's addition of AI services to encrypted messaging platform WhatsApp has Italian officials suspecting the Silicon Valley giant may be abusing its dominant market position to push unwanted features on users. The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) said in a statement that Meta added its Meta AI service to WhatsApp "without any prior request from users" and that it was "placed in a prominent position on the screen and integrated into the search bar." The AGCM believes these actions could be a violation of article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). "By combining Meta AI with WhatsApp, Meta appears capable of channeling its customer base into the emerging market, not through merit-based competition, but by 'imposing' the availability of the two distinct services upon users, potentially harming competitors," the AGCM said. That imposition locks users into Meta's AI ecosystem, the AGCM added, further entrenching Meta's market dominance and limiting competition from local AI firms. Surprisingly enough, Meta doesn't seem to contest the idea that adding its AI to WhatsApp could in theory give it market dominance. "Offering free access to our AI features in WhatsApp gives millions of Italians the choice to use AI in a place they already know, trust and understand," a Meta spokesperson told The Register in an email. In other words, what's wrong with integrating our AI into another app in our ecosystem if customers could benefit from the move? Meta told us that it's confident its approach is in compliance with the law. Nonetheless, "we are fully cooperating with the Italian competition authority," the company added. Meta also took umbrage with the accusation that its AI is being imposed on WhatsApp users, describing the feature as not being constantly active, but rather an optional element that's not on until users engage with it. Meta's position seems fair based on our interactions with the iOS version of WhatsApp. Yes, the Meta AI symbol is prominently placed in the lower right corner of the app's Chat tab and the search field will optionally ask questions to Meta AI should the user choose to direct a query there, but, if you ignore those options, you won't have to deal with AI. From a user perspective, it feels much more like Meta just wanted to tack its AI chatbot interface onto WhatsApp as a way to get people to notice its existence. Even asking the AI questions via the search field simply opens a new chat with Meta AI where it proceeds like a normal chatbot discussion. Meta told us that, even if a WhatsApp user has their Facebook and Instagram accounts linked to the messaging platform, Meta AI won't associate those platforms with what it sees on WhatsApp, so your identity is ostensibly safe. It will be up to the AGCM to determine whether Meta did actually violate EU market dominance regulations by making that AI addition. According to officials, the investigation has already included "an inspection at the premises of Meta's Italian subsidiary" which the AGCM refused to comment on. All the Italian government would tell us about the case is that, were Meta to be found guilty of the TFEU, it could be forced to turn over as much as 10 percent of its global annual revenue. A spokesperson did not provide a timeline for the investigation. ®

Meta faces Italian investigation over AI tool on WhatsApp

MILAN, July 30 (Reuters) - Italy's antitrust authority said on Wednesday it had launched an investigation into Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab over allegations it had abused its dominant position by pre-installing its artificial intelligence tool on messaging service WhatsApp. The watchdog said Meta may have violated European Union competition rules by integrating its Meta AI assistant into WhatsApp without user consent. Italian representatives from Meta were not immediately available for comment. Meta AI, which provides chatbot-style responses and virtual assistant functions, has been part of WhatsApp's interface since March 2025, and included in the app's search bar, the authority said. The regulator said inclusion could unfairly steer users toward Meta's AI services, potentially harming competitors and locking users into the platform. Reporting by Elvira Pollina, editing by Cristina Carlevaro and Andrew Heavens Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Meta faces Italian competition investigation over WhatsApp AI chatbot

MILAN, July 30 (Reuters) - Italy's antitrust authority said on Wednesday it had launched an investigation into Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab over allegations the company abused its dominant position by installing its artificial intelligence tool on messaging service WhatsApp. The watchdog said Meta may have violated European Union competition rules by integrating its Meta AI assistant into WhatsApp without user consent, a move that might harm its competitors. The company said it was cooperating with the Rome-based authority and that its AI service benefited customers. "Offering free access to our AI features in WhatsApp gives millions of Italians the choice to use AI in a place they already know, trust and understand," a spokesperson said in an emailed statement. The authority, known as AGCM, said it acted "in close cooperation with the relevant offices of the European Commission". Meta AI, which provides chatbot-style responses and virtual assistant functions, has been part of WhatsApp's interface since March 2025, and was included in the app's search bar, the authority said. The regulator said inclusion could unfairly steer users toward Meta's AI services, potentially harming competitors and locking users into the platform. "By pairing Meta AI with WhatsApp, Meta appears to be able to steer its user base into the new market not through merit-based competition, but by 'forcing' users to accept the availability of two distinct services, potentially harming competing services", the authority said. Companies that breach EU competition rules by abusing a dominant position can be fined up to 10% of their worldwide turnover. The authority said its officials carried out investigations at the offices of Meta's Italian subsidiary with the assistance of Italy's tax police special antitrust unit. Reporting by Elvira Pollina, editing by Cristina Carlevaro and Andrew Heavens Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Meta faces antitrust investigation over AI chatbot integration in WhatsApp

In brief: Meta began integrating its AI chatbot into WhatsApp in 2024, offering users easy access to its large language model service. This move may have breached Europe's antitrust laws, and Italian authorities are now weighing whether to impose a substantial fine on the US company. The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) recently launched an antitrust investigation into Meta AI's integration within WhatsApp. In March 2025, Meta began pre-installing its AI chatbot in the messaging app, which AGCM says appears to be an attempt to "impose" Meta's chatbot and related AI services on users. Working with the European Commission, the AGCM is investigating Meta and the Italian branches of WhatsApp and Facebook. The authority suspects Meta abused its dominant position in social media and messaging apps - a violation of Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. According to the regulator, Meta added the AI chatbot to WhatsApp without prior user consent and placed the Meta AI icon in a prominent spot on the app's window. The chatbot is now deeply integrated, effectively compelling users to interact with it. "By combining Meta AI with WhatsApp, Meta appears capable of channelling its customer base into the emerging market, not through merit-based competition, but by 'imposing' the availability of the two distinct services upon users, potentially harming competitors," the AGCM stated. The competition watchdog warns that the forced inclusion risks "locking in" WhatsApp users, who may become reliant on the AI service, providing Meta with increasing personal data. This growing stream of information would make the chatbot more useful and relevant to users' needs, deepening their reliance on it. Critics argue that such dependence could create a feedback loop, strengthening Meta's dominance in AI services and making it even harder for rivals to compete. Officials from the AGCM and Italy's Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) have already conducted a voluntary inspection of Meta and Facebook's Italian offices. If Meta is found guilty, it could face fines up to 10 percent of its global annual revenue. Meta confirmed to The Register that it is fully cooperating with Italian authorities and remains confident in its compliance. The company says offering free access to Meta AI's chatbot benefits millions of Italian users by delivering AI services within a familiar chat environment - a point the competition authority sees as a violation of European antitrust laws.

Italy opens probe into Meta over AI tool in WhatsApp

Italy said Wednesday it opened a probe into social media giant Meta for potentially breaking EU competition laws by installing its AI tool into WhatsApp. Meta owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Several months ago, its Meta AI tool appeared on the screens of the WhatsApp messaging service. "In March 2025, Meta, which holds a dominant position in the market for consumer communications apps, decided to preinstall its artificial intelligence service on the WhatsApp app," Italy's antitrust body said in a statement. "In doing so, Meta may be 'imposing' the use of its chatbot and AI assistance services on its users." It said merging Meta AI with WhatsApp, Meta could be "channeling its customer base into the emerging market, not through merit-based competition, but by 'imposing' the availability of the two distinct services upon users, potentially harming competitors." The antitrust authority said it carried out an inspection of the premises of Meta's Italian subsidiary on Tuesday along with Italy's Financial Police. It also said it was investigating the company "in close cooperation with the competent departments of the European Commission". Italian authorities said there is a risk users could become "locked in" or "functionally dependent on Meta AI as "by using the information provided over time, it appears the responses generated by the service become increasingly useful and relevant."

Italy opens probe into Meta over AI tool in WhatsApp

Rome (AFP) - Italy said Wednesday it opened a probe into social media giant Meta for potentially breaking EU competition laws by installing its AI tool into WhatsApp. Meta owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Several months ago, its Meta AI tool appeared on the screens of the WhatsApp messaging service. "In March 2025, Meta, which holds a dominant position in the market for consumer communications apps, decided to pre-install its artificial intelligence service on the WhatsApp app," Italy's antitrust body said in a statement. "In doing so, Meta may be 'imposing' the use of its chatbot and AI assistance services on its users." It said merging Meta AI with WhatsApp, Meta could be "channelling its customer base into the emerging market, not through merit-based competition, but by 'imposing' the availability of the two distinct services upon users, potentially harming competitors." The antitrust authority said it carried out an inspection of the premises of Meta's Italian subsidiary on Tuesday along with Italy's Financial Police. It also said it was investigating the company "in close cooperation with the competent departments of the European Commission". Italian authorities said there is a risk users could become "locked in" or "functionally dependent on Meta AI as "by using the information provided over time, it appears the responses generated by the service become increasingly useful and relevant."

If you'd like to see Meta's AI gunk purged from WhatsApp, a new antitrust investigation in Italy might just do the trick

Italy's antitrust authority, AKA the body the looks into monopoly abuses by companies, has reportedly launched an investigation into Meta. According to Reuters, the Italian authority is considering, "allegations the company abused its dominant position by installing its artificial intelligence tool on messaging service WhatsApp." The key detail, it seems, is that Meta foisted its AI assistant onto WhatsApp users without their consent. "By pairing Meta AI with WhatsApp, Meta appears to be able to steer its user base into the new market not through merit-based competition, but by 'forcing' users to accept the availability of two distinct services, potentially harming competing services," the Italian antitrust authority said. Meta itself has responded to Reuters, saying, "offering free access to our AI features in WhatsApp gives millions of Italians the choice to use AI in a place they already know, trust and understand." That response notably overlooks the fact that it's not a "choice" at all. The AI features are compulsory, and cannot be switched off or fully disabled. That ominously blue, all-seeing Eye of Zuckeron is ever present. The really simple and incredibly obvious solution here is to make the AI features in WhatsApp switchable. But Meta, seemingly along with most players in the over-hyped AI industry, is desperate to leverage billions of dollar's worth of AI investment any which way it can. So, making AI compulsory on WhatsApp suddenly turns the entire user base, currently thought to be as many as three billion people per month, into AI customers, of a sort. It no doubt looks good on the annual report when you can claim so many billion users of AI services. And if Meta is really lucky, it can get a subset of those users hooked on AI features and then do the old switcheroo and start charging subscription fees down the road. Ker-ching! Anywho, with any luck, the Italian investigation will eventually turn into an EU-wide decision against Meta, and the no-brainer option to turn off the AI features in WhatsApp will be rolled out thereafter. Once that happens in the EU, it will be awfully hard for Meta not to offer the same choice to users elsewhere. And, as Meta itself said, this is all about "choice." Right?

Italian antitrust authority probing Meta's WhatsApp AI chatbot

The technology giant is under investigation in Italy for alleged breaches of EU competition law. Italian antitrust watchdog has launched an investigation into Meta, claiming the tech giant is effectively forcing WhatsApp users to use its artificial intelligence (AI) tools. The Italian antitrust authority Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM) has accused Meta of violating the European Union's competition laws by integrating its AI chatbot into its messaging app WhatsApp, potentially abusing its "dominant position" in the market to promote its own AI services. "Starting from March 2025, Meta, which holds a dominant position in the app-based communication services market, decided to pre-install its artificial intelligence service on the WhatsApp app," AGCM wrote in a statement. "In doing so, Meta may be 'imposing' the use of its chatbot and AI assistance services on its users," the antitrust authority continued. It said that by linking Meta AI with WhatsApp, Meta appears to be steering its users into the AI market not through fair competition, but by forcing the two services together in violation of EU law. On Tuesday, antitrust officials inspected Meta's Italian offices, the regulator said. Concerns over Meta's AI models are not unique to Italy, with the Irish data protection authority scrutinising its use of users' data. The technology giant's AI tool had raised concerns in Brussels. It launched its AI models in Europe earlier this year, after a delay due to "regulatory uncertainty". Meanwhile, the European Commission, the EU's executive body, launched an inquiry in March into whether Meta's AI tool falls within the scope of the Digital Services Act (DSA). Meta owns several major social media and messaging platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger.

Meta Launches AI Chatbot in WhatsApp: Violates EU Competition Rules

Meta Allegedly Abused Its Market Dominance to Distort Competition in Italy Meta is under scrutiny for integrating an AI chatbot in WhatsApp. The Italian Competition Authority launches an investigation into the tech giant for this move. It says by distorting fair market competition and further accused Meta of misusing its established dominance to unfairly make users rely on its services. This ongoing probe is about user independence, equitable market entry to all competitors, and ensuring privacy. Given WhatsApp's large user base in Italy, the authority views the use of this extensive reach as a means to launch a new product or service as inherently unfair. This side-steps merit-based competition and significantly affects its rivals.

Meta Faces Antitrust Probe in Italy Over WhatsApp AI Features

Italian antitrust officials launched an investigation into Meta Platforms, saying artificial-intelligence features in the tech giant's WhatsApp messaging app might be stifling competition. The Facebook and Instagram owner rolled out Meta AI through the WhatsApp app earlier this year to let users have conversations with a chatbot, ask for recommendations and generate images. The company branded the service as optional because users can choose whether or not to invoke Meta AI and its chatbot. Italy's competition watchdog said Wednesday that Meta had installed its AI services on WhatsApp without users' consent, giving the button to summon the chatbot a prominent position in the main screen of the app. Antitrust officials said Meta could thus gain users for its AI services not through merit-based competition with other AI model providers, but by imposing its features on its own users. The authority said Meta could potentially harm competition because WhatsApp users might become "locked in" or functionally dependent on Meta AI. "Offering free access to our AI features in WhatsApp gives millions of Italians the choice to use AI in a place they already know, trust and understand," a Meta spokesperson said. "We are fully cooperating with the Italian competition authority." The agency said its own officials had conducted inspections at Meta's offices in the country on Tuesday, with the support of the Italian financial police. Meta didn't comment on the inspections. The investigation into Meta's AI practices in Italy comes two weeks after the group said it wouldn't sign the European Union's code of practice for general-purpose artificial intelligence. Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan said the code, which model providers can choose whether or not to sign, adds uncertainty and goes beyond the scope of AI legislation in the bloc. Meta and other companies have criticized the EU's push to regulate AI. Earlier this month, chief executives of European companies, including Mistral AI, ASML Holding and Airbus, signed a letter asking the EU to delay enforcement of the AI Act, saying overlapping and complex regulations were preventing the EU from becoming an AI leader.