Italy Orders Meta To Suspend WhatsApp Policy Blocking Third-Party AI Chatbots

(RTTNews) - Italy's competition authority has told Meta to pause a rule that stops companies from using WhatsApp's business tools to roll out their own AI chatbots on the platform.

The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) found enough evidence in an ongoing investigation to suggest that this rule might be an abuse of Meta's dominating position in the market.

The Authority pointed out that Meta's decision to limit access to WhatsApp's business API could stifle competition, restrict market access, and hinder tech advancements in the AI chatbot sector, which could ultimately hurt consumers.

They cautioned that letting this policy stay in effect while the investigation is ongoing could lead to significant and irreversible harm to competition.

This investigation follows a change Meta made in October, which banned general-purpose AI chatbots from being distributed on WhatsApp through its business API.

While this rule doesn't affect businesses that use AI for customer support, it does impact standalone AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and others.

Meta has defended its stance, arguing that the WhatsApp business API was never meant to be a platform for distributing AI chatbots, suggesting that users can access these tools via apps, websites, or through other partnerships.

The company labeled the Italian authority's decision as "fundamentally flawed" and mentioned plans to appeal.

The European Commission is also running a separate investigation, expressing worries that this policy could prevent third-party AI providers from offering their services throughout the European economy.omic Area.