The Italian Competition Authority (Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato, AGCM) has adopted interim measures against Meta Platforms Inc., Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, WhatsApp Ireland Limited and Facebook Italy S.r.l. (collectively, “Meta”), ordering the immediate suspension of contractual conditions that exclude competing AI chatbot providers from access to the WhatsApp platform.
The decision forms part of an ongoing investigation opened in July 2025 into a suspected abuse of dominant position, in breach of Article 102 TFEU, arising from the integration of Meta AI into WhatsApp in a prominent and preferential position compared to competing services. On 25 November 2025, the Authority extended the scope of the proceedings to include the application of new contractual terms contained in the WhatsApp Business Solution Terms, while simultaneously initiating interim relief proceedings.
The contested contractual terms, introduced on 15 October 2025 and scheduled to take full effect by 15 January 2026, would entirely exclude competitors of Meta AI from the WhatsApp platform in the market for AI chatbot services.
Following written submissions and a hearing of the parties, the AGCM concluded that the legal conditions for adopting interim measures under Article 14-bis of Law No. 287/1990 were met with respect to the effects of the conduct on Italian territory. According to the Authority, Meta’s conduct appears prima facie abusive, as it is capable of restricting production, market access, or technological development in the AI chatbot services market, to the detriment of consumers.
The Authority further found that the conduct is liable to cause serious and irreparable harm to competitive dynamics during the course of the investigation, undermining the contestability of the market. In light of these findings, the AGCM ordered Meta to immediately suspend the application of the relevant contractual provisions of the WhatsApp Business Solution Terms, in order to preserve access to the WhatsApp platform for AI chatbot services competing with Meta AI.
The Italian Competition Authority is coordinating closely with the European Commission to ensure that Meta’s conduct is addressed in the most effective manner.