Italy Orders Meta to Restore Rival AI Chatbot Access to WhatsApp

The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) ordered Meta Platforms on December 24, 2025, to immediately suspend contractual terms and policies that exclude rival general-purpose AI chatbots from the WhatsApp Business API. The regulator alleged that Meta abused its dominant market position by favoring its own Meta AI assistant while restricting competitors such as OpenAI, Perplexity, and Claude. The AGCM warned that the policy, which was introduced in October and scheduled for full implementation by January 15, could cause serious and irreparable harm to competition and stifle technical development to the detriment of consumers.

Meta defended the policy, arguing that the WhatsApp Business API was not intended as a distribution platform for AI companies and that the rise of such chatbots put a strain on systems not designed to support them. A company spokesperson described the AGCM's decision as groundless and fundamentally flawed, announcing that the company will appeal the ruling.

The order follows an investigation launched in July 2025 and expanded in November. The action is part of a broader regulatory effort in Europe, as the European Commission has launched a parallel investigation to determine if Meta's restrictions breach competition rules across the European Economic Area. The AGCM is coordinating its efforts with the EU executive body to address the conduct.