Italy’s antitrust authority (AGCM) ordered Meta to immediately suspend contractual clauses that prevent third-party AI chatbots from operating on the WhatsApp Business platform. The regulator alleges that blocking competitors constitutes an “abuse of a dominant position” that stifles innovation and restricts market access for rival agents. Meta called the decision “fundamentally flawed” and plans to appeal, arguing that external AI bots place a technical strain on systems not designed to support them. The move coordinates with a parallel probe launched by the European Commission last month.
