EU to launch antitrust probe into Meta over use of AI in WhatsApp

BRUSSELS – Brussels is planning a new antitrust investigation into Meta Platforms over its rollout of artificial intelligence features in WhatsApp, a source told Reuters on Dec 4, reflecting rising scrutiny of Big Tech’s use of generative AI.

The move, first reported by the Financial Times, marks the latest action by European regulators against large technology firms as the bloc seeks to balance support for the sector with efforts to curb its expanding influence.

The European Commission is set to open the probe into how the California-based company integrated its Meta AI system into the messaging service earlier in 2025, the source said, asking not to be named.

The European Commission declined to comment.

A WhatsApp spokesman said in a statement that “the claims are baseless”, adding that the emergence of chatbots on its platforms “puts a strain on our systems that they were not designed to support”.

“Even still, the AI space is highly competitive, and people have access to the services of their choice in any number of ways, including app stores, search engines, e-mail services, partnership integrations, and operating systems,” he added.

Meta AI, a chatbot and virtual assistant, has been built into WhatsApp’s interface since March 2025 across European markets.

Italy’s antitrust watchdog opened a parallel investigation in July into allegations that Meta leveraged its market power by integrating an AI tool into WhatsApp.

The probe was expanded in November to examine whether Meta further abused its dominance by blocking rival AI chatbots from the messaging platform.

The Financial Times, citing officials, said the EU probe will be conducted under traditional antitrust rules rather than the EU’s Digital Markets Act, the bloc’s landmark legislation currently used to scrutinise Amazon and Microsoft’s cloud services for potential curbs. REUTERS