According to TechCrunch, Italy’s Competition Authority (AGCM) ordered Meta on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, to suspend its policy banning rival AI chatbots from being offered on WhatsApp. The policy, which was changed in October and set to go into effect in January 2025, would have prohibited general-purpose chatbots like those from OpenAI, Perplexity, and Poke from using WhatsApp’s business API. The AGCM found enough cause in its ongoing investigation to order the immediate suspension, stating Meta’s conduct appears to constitute an abuse of its dominant position that could cause serious and irreparable harm to competition. The authority argues the policy limits market access and technical development in the AI chatbot market to the detriment of consumers. Meta has argued its API isn’t designed for chatbot distribution and that users have other avenues to access other AI bots. The European Commission also launched a separate investigation into the policy earlier this month.
Meta vs. the gatekeepers
Here’s the thing: this is a classic platform power play, and regulators are calling it early. Meta’s argument that its business API isn’t meant for chatbots feels a bit convenient, doesn’t it? They built a massively popular messaging platform, created tools for businesses to operate on it, and then changed the rules once they had their own competing product—Meta AI—to roll out. It’s the digital equivalent of changing the locks after you’ve moved in. And their point about other access avenues? Technically true, but it misses the point. WhatsApp is where a huge portion of daily digital conversation happens. Being barred from that ecosystem is a significant competitive disadvantage.
A broader EU crackdown
This isn’t just an Italian skirmish. The fact that the European Commission launched its own probe this month signals this is a major regulatory priority in the EU. They’re looking at this policy through the lens of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which is all about keeping “gatekeeper” platforms from unfairly favoring their own services. So, Italy‘s move is probably a leading indicator of a much bigger fight coming. Meta’s policy carve-out—allowing AI for customer service but banning general-purpose bots—is an interesting line in the sand. It shows they want to keep the utility for businesses but control the broader AI assistant layer. Regulators seem to think that layer is too important to be controlled by one company.
What this means for AI competition
Basically, this suspension, if it holds, could crack open a door. Imagine being able to chat with ChatGPT or Claude directly within your WhatsApp chats without switching apps. That’s the potential endgame here. It would turn messaging apps into true AI hubs, where you could summon different specialized agents. For AI startups, access to these massive, embedded user bases is everything. Without it, they’re just another app icon on a crowded home screen. But with it? They could integrate into the daily flow of communication. Meta’s fear is obvious: they don’t want WhatsApp to become a mere pipe for other companies’ superior AI. The regulators’ job is to ensure the pipe stays open, at least enough to keep the market contestable. This fight is just starting, and it will define how AI gets woven into our most-used apps.
