Italian competition authorities have launched a formal investigation into tech giant Meta over concerns that its integration of an artificial intelligence tool into WhatsApp may breach European Union competition regulations.
The Italian Antitrust Authority announced on Wednesday that the probe stems from Meta’s decision in March 2025 to pre-install its AI assistant, Meta AI, into WhatsApp—one of the most widely used messaging platforms in the world.
“Meta, which holds a dominant position in the consumer communications market, may be unlawfully leveraging this dominance by embedding its AI tool directly into WhatsApp, effectively imposing it on users,” the authority stated.
Meta owns several major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The sudden appearance of Meta AI on WhatsApp screens sparked scrutiny over whether the company is using its large user base to gain an unfair advantage in the growing market for AI services.
According to Italian regulators, the move could restrict competition by steering users toward Meta’s own AI offerings, not through merit or choice, but by default integration.
“This may distort the competitive landscape by making it difficult for alternative AI services to gain visibility or market share,” the statement read.
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The antitrust watchdog revealed it conducted an unannounced inspection at Meta’s Italian offices on Tuesday, in collaboration with the country’s Financial Police.
It also noted that the investigation is being carried out in coordination with relevant departments of the European Commission.
Authorities expressed concern that users could become increasingly dependent on Meta AI over time, as the service collects data and improves its responses, potentially creating a “lock-in effect” that makes switching to rival services less appealing.
The probe marks the latest in a series of regulatory challenges facing Meta in the EU, where officials have stepped up efforts to scrutinize how tech firms deploy AI and handle user data.
Meta has yet to issue a public response to the Italian authority’s announcement.