Italian authorities raid Meta over WhatsApp AI function
The authority suspects that Meta abused its dominant position in messaging by pre-installing the AI function without first requiring users to opt in.
Officials raided Meta's Italian subsidiary on Tuesday, assisted by antitrust specialists of the Italian Financial Police, AGCM said in a press release.
A Commission spokesperson said that its DG COMP was closely cooperating with the Italian competition authorities on the investigation.
A Meta spokesperson said that the company was "fully cooperating with the Italian Competition Authority" per an email statement sent to Euractiv.
"Offering free access to our AI features in WhatsApp gives millions of Italians the choice to use AI in a place they already know," the spokesperson added.
Meta has claimed that the AI option is an entirely optional service to use. However, the Italian competition authorities have said that since March 2025, Meta AI has been pre-install its AI services, "by combining with its WhatsApp service, without any prior request from users," in its statement.
The AI service had already come under scrutiny in several European countries.
Meta had delayed the rollout of its AI service after the Irish data protection authority raised questions surrounding data use.
The data protection watchdog in Hamburg, Germany, also started investigating Meta's use of user data but dropped the case in May.
(cp)
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