Meta to Allow Third-Party Chatbots on WhatsApp in Italy
Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, has announced that it will allow users in Italy to access other artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on the messaging platform, in compliance with a precautionary measure issued by the Italian Antitrust Authority in December. According to a report by Reuters, Meta has informed suppliers and developers that Italian users will be exempt from the new terms of use that come into effect on January 15th, which would have restricted the use of rival chatbots such as Copilot, ChatGpt, and Perplexity.
Background on the Antitrust Proceedings
The Italian Antitrust Authority had initiated an investigation into Meta in July 2025, alleging that the company had abused its dominant position by preventing the integration of third-party AI chatbots into WhatsApp Business. The Authority had ordered Meta to suspend the enforcement of new rules that would have hindered competition and harmed consumers. Meta has announced that it will appeal the decision, but will comply with the order in the meantime.
Implications for Italian Users
As a result of the exemption, Italian users will still be able to use other chatbots within WhatsApp, provided they have the international telephone dialing code +39. This means that users in Italy will not be limited to using only Meta’s AI chatbots, as would be the case in other countries. A Meta spokesperson had previously stated that the emergence of chatbots on their Business APIs had put pressure on their systems, which were not designed to support this type of use.
Meta’s Response to the Antitrust Decision
Meta has expressed its disagreement with the Antitrust Authority’s decision, stating that it is “unfounded”. The company argues that WhatsApp is not an app store, and that market access channels for AI companies are through app stores, websites, and sector partnerships, not the WhatsApp Business platform. Despite this, Meta will comply with the order and allow Italian users to access third-party chatbots on WhatsApp.
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