Italy has become the latest European regulator to challenge how Big Tech is integrating artificial intelligence into widely used digital platforms.
This week, the country’s antitrust authority ordered Meta Platforms to suspend certain WhatsApp contractual terms while it investigates whether the company abused its dominant position.
The case centres on AI chatbots and whether recent changes to WhatsApp’s business platform could shut out rival providers.
The move reflects deeper regulatory unease in Europe about messaging apps becoming closed ecosystems just as AI services gain commercial importance.
WhatsApp and market power
The intervention was announced by Italy’s competition watchdog, the Italian Competition Authority, which said it had ordered Meta to halt contractual conditions that risk excluding competing AI chatbots from WhatsApp.
The authority is examining whether Meta’s conduct could restrict output, limit market access, or slow technical development in the AI chatbot services market.
Regulators argue that WhatsApp’s scale gives Meta significant leverage. Any restrictions imposed through its business platform could shape which AI tools are able to reach users, with potential knock-on effects for competition and consumer choice.
Meta criticised the decision, calling it fundamentally flawed. The company said the rapid rise of AI chatbots had put pressure on systems not originally designed to support them and confirmed it would appeal the order.
Investigation timeline
The Italian probe began in July, when authorities opened an investigation into Meta over suspected abuse of a dominant position linked to WhatsApp.
In November, the scope of the investigation was widened to include updated terms governing WhatsApp’s business platform.
According to the watchdog, these revised contractual conditions could completely exclude Meta AI’s competitors from operating on WhatsApp.
By intervening at this stage, the authority aims to prevent potential harm to competition while the investigation is ongoing, rather than waiting for a final ruling.
Focus on AI chatbots
At the heart of the case is the fast-expanding market for AI chatbot services.
Messaging platforms are increasingly becoming distribution channels for these tools, giving platform owners influence over which services can integrate and scale.
Italy’s antitrust authority said Meta’s behaviour appeared capable of restricting competition in this emerging market.
The concern is not limited to pricing or fees but extends to technical access and development, areas that are critical for AI innovation.
EU coordination
Italy’s action is aligned with broader European scrutiny of Meta.
EU antitrust regulators launched a parallel investigation last month over the same allegations, signalling that the issue is being treated as a cross-border competition concern.
The Italian watchdog said it is coordinating with the European Commission to ensure Meta’s conduct is addressed in the most effective manner.
This reflects a wider EU approach that combines national enforcement with bloc-level oversight when major platforms are involved.
Transatlantic tensions
Europe’s tougher regulatory stance contrasts with a more permissive environment in the US.
This divide has triggered pushback from US technology companies and drawn political criticism.
The approach has also been criticised by the administration of Donald Trump, highlighting how antitrust enforcement against Big Tech has become a point of tension between Europe and the US.
For European regulators, however, the WhatsApp case is part of a broader effort to prevent dominant platforms from shaping the future of AI markets on their own terms.
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