Italy has announced that an investigation was launched Meta For a possible violation of European competition rules after installing an artificial intelligence tool on the platform WhatsApp.
Meta, which also owns Facebook and Instagram, has been showing Meta AI on the screens of the Whatsapp app.
‘In March 2025, the Meta, which holds a dominant position in the contact applications market decided to pre -establish her artificial intelligence in the application WhatsApp», The Italian Competition Authority announced.
“In this way, Meta could impose users the use of its own chatbot and subscription services it provides.”
According to the Italian Competition Authority, Combining Meta AI and Whatsapp, Meta could turn its clientele toward the emerging marketnot through a value -based competition, but imposing To users availability Two separate services, which can harm its competitors.
Meta’s representative responds through announcement that The company “collaborates with the Italian Competition Authority” And he argues that “offering AI’s access to whatsapp gives millions of Italians the opportunity to use artificial intelligence in an environment that is already known to them and in which they have confidence and understand it.”
Rome announced on its part that conducts research in close cooperation with the competent services of the European Commission for a possible violation of European law.
According to the Italian authorities, There is a risk that users become hostage or functionally dependent on Meta AI Because using the information provided over time, it seems that The answers produced by the service are becoming more and more useful and important.