Italy’s competition authority Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato or AGCM, ordered Meta (META) to suspend WhatsApp’s contractual terms that block rival AI chatbots from the platform.
The step addresses concerns over potential abuse of Meta’s (META) dominant position in the AI chatbot market, and the order came amid an ongoing investigation launched in July 2025 and expanded in November.
A spokesperson for Meta (META) called the decision “fundamentally flawed,” and said the emergence of AI chatbots “put a strain on our systems that they were not designed to support,” Reuters reported. “We will appeal,” the spokesperson added.
“Meta’s conduct appears to constitute an abuse, since it may limit production, market access or technical developments in the AI Chatbot services market, to the detriment of consumers,” the authority said.
The Italian regulators are also coordinating with the European Commission, which launched a parallel EU probe last month.