Italian Antitrust Authority Orders Meta to Halt WhatsApp AI Terms That Shut Out Rival Chatbots

Key Takeaways

• Interim Measures Imposed: Italy’s competition authority has ordered Meta to immediately suspend new WhatsApp Business Solution Terms that exclude rival AI chatbots from the platform.
• Abuse of Dominance Concerns: Regulators are investigating whether Meta’s integration and preferential positioning of Meta AI within WhatsApp breaches Article 102 TFEU.
• AI Chatbot Market Impact: The Authority warned that the terms could restrict market access, limit technical development, and cause serious and irreparable harm to competition.
• Timeline Pressure: The disputed terms were introduced in October 2025 and were due to take full effect by January 15, 2026.
• EU-level Coordination: Italian regulators are working with the European Commission, signaling potential broader EU scrutiny of platform-based AI integration.

Deep Dive

Italy’s competition watchdog has ordered Meta to immediately suspend new WhatsApp business terms after concluding that they risk unlawfully excluding competing AI chatbot services from one of the world’s most widely used messaging platforms.

The Italian Competition Authority announced that it has imposed interim measures on Meta Platforms, Meta Platforms Ireland, WhatsApp Ireland, and Facebook Italy as part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged abuse of a dominant market position.

The case focuses on Meta’s integration of its own Meta AI service into WhatsApp. Regulators are examining whether Meta has leveraged WhatsApp’s market power by giving its proprietary AI chatbot greater visibility and preferential treatment compared with rival services, potentially breaching Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

In November, the Authority expanded the scope of its investigation to include newly introduced WhatsApp Business Solution Terms. Those terms, rolled out on 15 October and scheduled to become fully effective by 15 January 2026, would fully exclude competing AI chatbot providers from operating on the WhatsApp platform within the AI chatbot services market.

Following a dedicated procedure under Article 14-bis of Italy’s competition law and after reviewing submissions from the parties, the Authority concluded that the conditions for imposing interim measures had been met. According to the regulator, Meta’s conduct appears capable of restricting market access and limiting technical development in the AI chatbot sector, to the detriment of consumers.

The Authority also warned that allowing the terms to remain in force while the investigation continues could cause serious and irreparable harm to competition in Italy by undermining the contestability of the emerging AI chatbot market. On that basis, it ordered Meta to immediately suspend the WhatsApp Business Solution Terms in order to preserve access to the platform for competing AI providers.

The Italian regulator said it is coordinating closely with the European Commission to ensure Meta’s conduct is addressed effectively at the European level, signaling that the case may have broader implications as EU authorities continue to scrutinize how large technology platforms integrate and promote their own AI services.

The investigation into Meta remains ongoing, and the interim measures will stay in place while competition authorities assess whether the company’s WhatsApp and AI strategy ultimately breaches EU competition law.

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