Rome, December 24, 2025 —The Italian authority has ordered Meta to immediately suspend new WhatsApp contractual terms that would exclude rival AI chatbot providers from the messaging platform, citing concerns that the measures could cause serious and irreparable harm to competition.
The Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM) adopted interim measures against Meta Platforms Inc., Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, WhatsApp Ireland Limited, and Facebook Italy, following an investigation opened in July 2025 into a suspected abuse of dominance under Article 102 TFEU.
Expanded Investigation
The probe initially focused on Meta’s decision to integrate its Meta AI service directly into WhatsApp, giving it a prominent position compared with competing AI chatbot services. In November, the authority expanded the investigation to cover new contractual provisions contained in the WhatsApp Business Solution Terms, introduced on October 15 and set to take full effect by January 15, 2026.
According to the AGCM, the new terms would fully exclude Meta AI’s competitors from access to the WhatsApp platform, effectively foreclosing them from the market for AI chatbot services.
Risk of Serious Harm
After reviewing written submissions and hearing the parties, the authority concluded that the legal threshold for interim measures had been met. The AGCM found that Meta’s conduct appears capable of restricting production, market access or technical development in the AI chatbot services market, to the detriment of consumers.
The authority also warned that the conduct could cause serious and irreparable damage to competitive dynamics during the course of the investigation, undermining market contestability if allowed to continue.
Interim Measures Imposed
To prevent that risk, the AGCM ordered Meta to immediately suspend the application of the contested WhatsApp Business Solution Terms, ensuring continued access to the platform for AI chatbot providers competing with Meta AI.
The Italian authority said it is coordinating with the European Commission to ensure that Meta’s conduct is addressed in the most effective manner. The investigation on the merits remains ongoing.
Source: https://www.agcm.it/media/comunicati-stampa/2025/12/A576–
