Italy Probes Meta for AI Pre-Installation on WhatsApp

The Italian antitrust authority has launched an investigation into Meta Platforms for allegedly abusing its dominant market position by pre-installing its AI tool on WhatsApp without user consent, possibly violating EU competition rules and harming competitors.

Italy's antitrust authority has initiated a probe into Meta Platforms following allegations of abuse of market dominance by embedding its AI tool into WhatsApp. The investigation comes amid claims of violations of European Union competition regulations due to this integration without user consent.

The authority highlighted potential anticompetitive effects, suggesting that the inclusion of Meta AI within WhatsApp could unfairly guide users toward Meta's services, thereby stifling competitors. Meta AI offers chatbot-style responses and virtual assistant capabilities and has been part of WhatsApp's features since March 2025.

Efforts to reach Italian representatives from Meta for comments have been unsuccessful at this time. The ongoing inquiry reflects heightened scrutiny over tech giants' practices in the European market.

(With inputs from agencies.)