MILAN: Italy’s competition authority has opened an investigation into Meta Platforms over suspected abuse of market dominance through the pre-installation of its artificial intelligence tool on WhatsApp. The regulator stated the tech giant may have breached EU competition rules by integrating Meta AI into WhatsApp without obtaining proper user consent.
The antitrust body highlighted that Meta AI, which offers chatbot responses and virtual assistant features, became part of WhatsApp’s interface in March 2025. The tool was embedded in the app’s search bar, potentially influencing users toward Meta’s services while sidelining competitors.
Meta representatives in Italy did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The watchdog warned that such integration could unfairly lock users into Meta’s ecosystem, limiting choice for alternative AI providers. – Reuters
