Meta is under intense scrutiny in Europe once again — this time from Italy’s antitrust authority, which has officially opened an investigation into the tech giant’s integration of Meta AI into WhatsApp. The probe centers on whether Meta is violating EU competition laws by leveraging its dominant market position to force its AI services onto users.
According to a statement released Wednesday, the watchdog claims that:
“Meta may be imposing the use of its chatbot and AI assistance services on its users” by pre-installing Meta AI on WhatsApp as of March 2025, with no real opt-out option.
Key concerns include:
• Lack of genuine user choice
• Meta potentially steering WhatsApp’s massive user base into its AI ecosystem through preloaded tools
• Risk of users becoming “locked in” due to growing AI dependence
• Unfair hindrance to smaller competitors in the AI space
On Tuesday, Italy’s Financial Police, alongside inspectors from the antitrust agency, searched Meta’s offices in Italy as part of the investigation. The operation is being carried out in coordination with the European Commission.
This marks another high-stakes legal battle for Meta in the EU, where regulators are increasingly cracking down on big tech practices seen as undermining digital fairness and competition.
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