Italy’s antitrust regulator, AGCM, has launched an investigation into Meta Platforms over concerns of abuse of dominant position by integrating its Meta AI assistant into WhatsApp.

The probe focuses on whether Meta breached EU competition laws by adding the AI tool without user consent, possibly disadvantaging rivals.

AGCM said Meta AI, which provides chatbot-style responses and virtual assistant functions, has been part of WhatsApp’s interface since March 2025 and was included in the app’s search bar.

Officials, with support from Italy’s tax police, carried out inspections at Meta’s Italian office.

Meta said it is cooperating with the probe.

🔗 Source: Reuters

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Italy’s investigation reflects broader EU crackdown on big tech practices

This WhatsApp AI investigation is part of a much larger European regulatory offensive against major tech platforms.

The European Union has already imposed €700 million in fines on Apple and Meta this year under the Digital Markets Act, with Meta receiving €200 million specifically for its “pay-or-consent” advertising model that allegedly restricts user choice 1.

Apple faced a €500 million penalty for preventing app developers from directing users to cheaper alternatives outside its App Store 2.

The European Commission has initiated non-compliance investigations against multiple major tech firms for failing to meet their Digital Markets Act obligations, signaling that 2025 is a critical year for assessing the law’s effectiveness in fostering digital competition 3.

Italy’s antitrust authority explicitly noted it was acting “in close cooperation with the relevant offices of the European Commission,” demonstrating the coordinated approach European regulators are taking against big tech bundling practices.

2️⃣ AI integration challenges traditional antitrust frameworks designed for separate products

Meta’s WhatsApp AI integration represents a new form of digital bundling that traditional competition law struggles to address effectively.

Unlike historical antitrust cases involving distinct physical products, AI services integrated into messaging platforms create complex competitive dynamics that existing frameworks weren’t designed to handle 4.

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