Italy’s competition watchdog has ordered Meta to suspend WhatsApp terms that would block rival AI chatbots, saying the policy could harm competition while an investigation continues. The move comes as the European Commission has also opened an antitrust probe into how Meta is rolling out AI features in WhatsApp.
Italian regulators said Meta introduced new contractual conditions in October that would apply from mid-January and could exclude competitors in the AI chatbot services market from WhatsApp. The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) issued an interim order telling Meta to suspend the terms and allow rival AI chatbots to use WhatsApp while the probe continues.
What Italy ordered Meta to do
AGCM said it found enough cause in its ongoing investigation to order the suspension of Meta’s policy that bans companies from using WhatsApp business tools to offer their own general-purpose AI chatbots. The regulator said Meta’s conduct “appears to constitute an abuse,” arguing it may limit production, market access, or technical developments in the AI chatbot services market, which could hurt consumers.
The authority also said an interim measure was needed because the conduct could cause “serious and irreparable harm” to competition while the investigation is underway. Italy’s regulator said it would coordinate with the European Commission to address Meta’s conduct in the most effective manner.
The WhatsApp policy at the center of the dispute
Meta changed its business API policy in October to ban “general-purpose” chatbots from being distributed on WhatsApp via the API, and Italy’s regulator later expanded the scope of an existing investigation into Meta after that change. TechCrunch reported the policy change was set to go into effect in January, while Italian regulators said the new contractual conditions would apply from January 15.
The restriction described in the sources targets chatbot products like ChatGPT or Claude being distributed through WhatsApp’s business API, not businesses using AI to serve customers on WhatsApp, such as a retailer running an AI-powered customer service bot. TechCrunch also reported the change would affect the availability of AI chatbots from companies including OpenAI, Perplexity, and Poke on the app.
Why regulators say it matters
Italian regulators and other authorities are examining whether Meta is using its position to advantage Meta AI inside WhatsApp. The Guardian described Meta AI as a generative AI chatbot that can interact with users and said AI chatbots can provide a new way to search for information and services, potentially competing with browsers.
The Guardian also reported that WhatsApp has more than three billion users and argued that locking those users into Meta AI could give Meta a commercial advantage over rival AI chatbots. Italy’s regulator said Meta’s conduct may restrict market access or technical developments in the AI chatbot services market, which it said would be to the detriment of consumers.
Meta’s response and next steps
Meta disputed the Italian authority’s decision, calling it “fundamentally flawed,” and said WhatsApp’s business API is not a route to market for AI companies. Meta said the emergence of AI chatbots on its Business API strained systems that were not designed to support that use and argued the authority was incorrectly treating WhatsApp like an app store.
Meta also said AI companies can reach users through app stores, websites, and industry partnerships rather than the WhatsApp Business Platform, and it said it would appeal. Separately, a Techmeme headline about the situation stated that Meta said it would exclude Italy from its ban on rival AI chatbots on WhatsApp after an order from the country’s antitrust authority.
EU scrutiny and wider regulatory pressure
TechCrunch reported that the European Commission launched an investigation into the new WhatsApp policy, raising concerns it may prevent third-party AI providers from offering services through WhatsApp in the European Economic Area. The Guardian also reported that earlier this month the European Commission opened an antitrust probe to determine whether Meta’s rollout of AI features in WhatsApp breaches EU competition rules.
The Guardian said that when the EU antitrust probe was announced earlier this month, WhatsApp pushed back and called claims that the new terms hinder competition “baseless.” The Guardian also reported Meta faces other regulatory pressure in Europe, including risks of heavy fines under the Digital Services Act and separate investigations involving Facebook and Instagram.
