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FILE PHOTO: Italy’s antitrust authority said it had launched an investigation into Meta over allegations it had abused its dominant position by pre-installing its AI tool on WhatsApp.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
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Italy’s antitrust authority said on Wednesday it had launched an investigation into Meta Platforms over allegations it had abused its dominant position by pre-installing its artificial intelligence tool on messaging service WhatsApp.
The watchdog said Meta may have violated European Union competition rules by integrating its Meta AI assistant into WhatsApp without user consent.
Italian representatives from Meta were not immediately available for comment.
Meta AI, which provides chatbot-style responses and virtual assistant functions, has been part of WhatsApp’s interface since March 2025, and included in the app’s search bar, the authority said.
The regulator said inclusion could unfairly steer users toward Meta’s AI services, potentially harming competitors and locking users into the platform.
Published – July 31, 2025 09:46 am IST
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