The Antitrust Authority, in close cooperation with the European Commission, has decided to initiate an investigation against Meta for alleged abuse of a dominant position.
The company, which holds a dominant position in the app-based communication services market, has decided to pre-install its artificial intelligence service, Meta AI, starting in March 2025, pairing it with the WhatsApp app without users having to ask for it.
Furthermore, a statement from the Italian Competition Authority states, "Meta AI has been placed in a prominent position on the screen and integrated into the search bar. By pairing Meta AI with WhatsApp, Meta appears to be able to drive its user base into the new market, not through competition based on the merits, but by 'imposing' the availability of the two separate services on users, potentially detrimental to competing services."
According to the Authority, there is therefore "a risk that users may become 'blocked' or functionally dependent on Meta AI." Yesterday, Authority officials conducted inspections at the offices of Meta's Italian subsidiary, Facebook Italy Srl, with the assistance of the Special Antitrust Unit of the Guardia di Finanza.
(Unioneonline)
