Italy’s antitrust watchdog orders Meta to suspend WhatsApp terms that exclude rival AI chatbots, citing abuse of dominant position in an ongoing probe.
MILAN: Italy’s antitrust authority has ordered Meta Platforms to suspend contractual terms that could block rival AI chatbots from its WhatsApp messaging service.
The Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM) is investigating the US tech giant for suspected abuse of a dominant market position.
A Meta spokesperson called the decision “fundamentally flawed” and announced the company would appeal. The spokesperson said the emergence of AI chatbots “put a strain on our systems that they were not designed to support”.
The watchdog stated that Meta’s conduct appeared capable of restricting competition in the AI chatbot services market, potentially harming consumers. “These contractual conditions completely exclude Meta AI’s competitors in the AI chatbot services market from the WhatsApp platform,” the AGCM said.
The Italian regulator opened its investigation into Meta in July, focusing on the suspected abuse of a dominant position related to WhatsApp. It widened the probe in November to cover updated terms for the messaging app’s business platform.
EU antitrust regulators launched a parallel investigation into Meta over the same allegations last month. The Italian watchdog said it was coordinating with the European Commission to ensure Meta’s conduct was addressed “in the most effective manner”.
This action is the latest in a series by European regulators against Big Tech firms. Europe’s tough regulatory stance contrasts with more lenient US regulation and has sparked industry pushback, particularly from US tech companies.
