Italy launches competition probe into Meta over WhatsApp AI chatbot integration

Italy’s antitrust authority has launched an investigation into Meta, raising concerns that the company may have breached European Union competition rules by rolling out its Meta AI chatbot within WhatsApp without obtaining clear user consent. The probe focuses on whether the integration of the AI assistant into the popular messaging app constitutes an abuse of Meta’s dominant market position, particularly given WhatsApp’s widespread use across Europe. Authorities are examining whether users were adequately informed about the new feature and whether they had a genuine choice to opt in or out. The Italian competition watchdog emphasized that such practices could limit consumer freedom and unfairly advantage Meta’s own AI services over third-party alternatives. The investigation is part of a broader scrutiny of Meta’s recent AI initiatives across the EU, where regulators are increasingly focused on ensuring fair competition and transparency in the deployment of artificial intelligence. Meta has been asked to provide detailed information on the rollout process and user consent mechanisms. The outcome could set a precedent for how AI features are introduced in digital platforms across Europe.