Italy’s antitrust authority announced Wednesday that it has opened an investigation into Meta over concerns that the tech giant may have violated EU competition laws by integrating its AI tool into WhatsApp.
Meta—parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp—began rolling out its Meta AI assistant on WhatsApp earlier this year. According to the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM), this move may constitute an abuse of market dominance in the consumer messaging sector.
“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,” the AGCM said in a statement.
The authority claims Meta may be “imposing” the use of its AI assistant on WhatsApp users, potentially giving itself an unfair advantage in the emerging AI market.
“By merging Meta AI with WhatsApp, Meta could be channeling its customer base into the emerging market, not through merit-based competition, but by making the availability of two distinct services unavoidable for users,” the statement added.
On Tuesday, Italian officials—alongside the Financial Police—conducted an inspection of Meta’s Italian offices. The investigation is being carried out in coordination with the European Commission.
Authorities also raised concerns that users might become “locked in” or functionally dependent on Meta’s AI. As the assistant collects and learns from user interactions, its responses may become increasingly accurate and personalized, making it harder for users to switch to alternatives.
“The more users engage with Meta AI, the more relevant and useful its responses become, creating a potential dependency,” the AGCM noted.
The investigation highlights growing scrutiny over how tech giants deploy artificial intelligence tools—especially when bundled with dominant platforms—raising questions about fair competition, user consent, and data control.
AFP
