Italian regulators have intensified their scrutiny of Meta Platforms over concerns that the tech giant may have breached European Union competition laws by integrating its Meta AI assistant into WhatsApp without securing user consent and potentially disadvantaging competitors. Italy’s antitrust watchdog, the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM), has expanded its investigation, originally launched in July 2025, to encompass updated terms for WhatsApp’s Business Solutions platform introduced on 15 October. These new terms reportedly prohibit businesses whose primary service involves AI chatbots from using the platform, raising fears that such restrictions could stifle competition and innovation in the burgeoning AI chatbot market.

The Italian authority is considering interim measures that could include suspending these new terms and curbing further integration of Meta AI services within WhatsApp while the investigation continues, which is expected to conclude by the end of 2026. With over 37 million WhatsApp users in Italy, the watchdog warns that barring rival AI chatbots from accessing this large user base could distort market dynamics by making it difficult for consumers to switch services, thereby consolidating Meta’s dominance. This move has prompted backlash from Meta, with a spokesperson contending that the WhatsApp API business interface was never intended for AI chatbots and that the recent changes do not impact businesses using various AI assistants to communicate with customers.

This probe dovetails with broader regulatory anxieties about Big Tech's rapid expansion into generative AI. Italy’s AGCM flagged concerns that Meta's placement of its AI assistant inside WhatsApp’s search bar since March 2025 may unfairly channel users toward its proprietary services, effectively tying together distinct offerings and limiting user choice. The investigation aligns with ongoing cooperation between AGCM and the European Commission, the latter of which continues to underline stringent scrutiny of tech companies’ adherence to competition laws, as evidenced by parallel probes and fines against Meta and others over anticompetitive practices and user privacy concerns.

Meta faces the possibility of a significant fine that could reach up to 10% of its global revenue, a considerable figure given the company’s reported worldwide turnover of $164.5 billion (£125 billion) in 2024. While this potential penalty reflects the EU’s tougher stance on regulating digital markets, prior fines imposed on Meta, such as those linked to the Digital Markets Act (DMA), have been relatively moderate compared to the maximum allowed, hinting at a cautious but firm regulatory approach amid evolving legislation.

In addition to competition scrutiny, Meta is grappling with other regulatory challenges in the EU. For instance, the company has decided against releasing its advanced multimodal Llama AI model in Europe, citing unpredictable regulatory conditions and ongoing privacy concerns linked to compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Further, the European Commission has accused Meta of using 'dark patterns' in content reporting mechanisms on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, potentially undermining the effectiveness of illegal content removal processes under the Digital Services Act (DSA). Meta denies these allegations and is engaging with regulators to address the issues.

Overall, the intensifying investigations reflect growing regulatory efforts across the EU to ensure that major tech companies compete fairly, respect user consent, and maintain transparency as they rapidly integrate AI technologies into their services. Meta’s situation in Italy is a key example of the broader challenges faced by Big Tech as European authorities seek to balance innovation with consumer protection and market fairness.

📌 Reference Map:

  • [1] (The Independent) - Paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
  • [2] (Reuters) - Paragraphs 1, 2
  • [3] (Reuters) - Paragraphs 1, 3
  • [5] (The Guardian) - Paragraph 7
  • [4] (The Guardian) - Paragraph 7
  • [6] (The Guardian) - Paragraph 6

Source: Noah Wire Services