Italy’s Competition Authority has imposed a precautionary measure against Meta, ordering the company to suspend the integration of its Meta AI service within WhatsApp. According to the regulator, the move may constitute an abuse of dominant position and could harm competition in the rapidly growing market for AI-powered chatbots.
The Authority warned that Meta’s conduct could cause serious and irreversible damage to competitive dynamics while the investigation is ongoing, potentially undermining market openness and consumer choice. As a result, it ordered the immediate suspension of new contractual terms contained in WhatsApp Business Solution Terms, aimed at preserving access to the platform for AI chatbot providers competing with Meta AI.
The measure applies to Meta Platforms, Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, WhatsApp Ireland Limited and Facebook Italy. The Authority stated it is acting in coordination with the European Commission to ensure an effective response.
The case stems from an investigation launched last July into a suspected violation of Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Regulators focused on Meta’s decision to integrate its AI service in a prominent position within WhatsApp, potentially disadvantaging rival services.
The inquiry was expanded on 25 November with the opening of a precautionary sub-procedure concerning new contractual terms introduced on 15 October, which were set to take full effect by 15 January. According to the Authority, those terms would have excluded competing AI chatbot companies entirely from the WhatsApp platform. After reviewing submissions and hearing the parties, the Authority concluded that the conditions for interim measures were met, with regard to their impact on the Italian market.