Meta is under fire in Italy for allegedly forcing its AI assistant on WhatsApp users without consent.
The country’s antitrust watchdog, AGCM, has launched a formal investigation into the tech giant’s conduct, accusing it of abusing its dominant position in the messaging app market.
In a statement released Wednesday, the regulator said: “In March 2025, Meta, which holds a dominant position in the market for consumer communications apps, decided to pre-install its artificial intelligence service on the WhatsApp app.”
It added: “In doing so, Meta may be ‘imposing’ the use of its chatbot and AI assistance services on its users.”
Concerns Over Fair Competition and User Choice
The probe centres on whether Meta is unfairly steering WhatsApp’s massive user base into the AI market. Authorities say the integration of Meta AI into WhatsApp—especially its placement in the app’s search bar—limits user choice and stifles competition.
“By merging Meta AI with WhatsApp, Meta could be channelling its customer base into the emerging market, not through merit-based competition, but by ‘imposing’ the availability of the two distinct services upon users,” the AGCM warned.
Officials fear users may become “locked in” to Meta AI, as its responses grow more personalised and useful over time. This could create a dependency that makes switching to rival services difficult.
On Tuesday, inspectors from AGCM, backed by Italy’s Financial Police, raided Meta’s offices in Rome. The investigation is being carried out in close coordination with the European Commission.
Meta responded by saying: “Offering free access to our AI features in WhatsApp gives millions of Italians the choice to use AI in a place they already know, trust and understand.” The company insists the feature is optional and beneficial.
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