Italy Blocks AI Moat y Meta: WhatsApp Ordered to Host Rival Chatbots

In a sharp rebuke to Big Tech's attempt to ring-fence the artificial intelligence market, Italian regulators have ordered Meta to immediately halt a policy that would have banned rival AI chatbots from its WhatsApp platform.

The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) announced the interim emergency order on Wednesday, December 24, effectively forcing Meta to keep its digital borders open. The decision blocks a controversial update to WhatsApp's business terms that regulators say was designed to create an illegal monopoly for Mark Zuckerberg’s own "Meta AI" assistant by evicting competitors like ChatGPT and Claude.


The Controversy: "General-Purpose" Eviction
At the center of the dispute is a quiet change to the WhatsApp Business Solution Terms.

The Rule: Starting October 15, 2025 (for new entrants) and January 15, 2026 (for existing users), Meta introduced a clause strictly prohibiting "general-purpose AI chatbots" from using the WhatsApp Business API.

The Impact: This effectively severed the distribution lines for any AI startup using WhatsApp as a user interface. While customer service bots for retailers (e.g., an airline bot rebooking a flight) were allowed, standalone AI assistants that compete directly with Meta AI were to be banned.


"These contractual conditions completely exclude Meta AI's competitors... from the WhatsApp platform," the AGCM stated in its ruling. The authority argued that because WhatsApp holds a dominant position in messaging, denying access to rival AIs constitutes an "abuse of dominance" that would irreparably harm consumer choice and innovation.


Meta's Defense: "System Strain"
Meta immediately pushed back, calling the Italian decision "fundamentally flawed."

Technical Limits: A Meta spokesperson argued that the ban was not about crushing competition, but about technical stability. The company claims that general-purpose AI bots generate massive volumes of automated traffic that the WhatsApp Business API "was not designed to support."

Appeal Planned: Meta confirmed it will appeal the order, setting the stage for a prolonged legal battle in the Italian courts.

The European Pincer Movement
This action in Rome is part of a coordinated regulatory squeeze across the continent. The European Commission launched a parallel investigation into the same issue earlier this month, suggesting that Brussels views Meta's "AI preferential treatment" as a violation of broader EU competition rules.

For now, the order means Meta must suspend the ban in Italy, allowing third-party AI developers to continue operating on WhatsApp while the investigation proceeds.