The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) ordered Meta Platforms to immediately suspend the policy that barred general‑purpose AI chatbots from being offered on WhatsApp via the Business API. The order, issued on December 24, 2025, requires Meta to lift the ban for new users from October 15, 2025 and for existing users from January 15, 2026, effectively opening the platform to competitors such as OpenAI, Perplexity, and Poke.
Meta’s policy distinguished between “general‑purpose AI chatbots” and AI tools designed for specific business functions—customer support, order tracking, or reservation systems. The company argued that the WhatsApp Business API is intended for business‑to‑customer communication and commerce workflows, not for distributing standalone AI assistants. The policy change, announced in October 2025, was aimed at protecting Meta’s revenue model, which derives a significant portion of its WhatsApp Business API income from message‑category fees and a controlled ecosystem of approved partners.
The AGCM investigation began in July 2025 and was expanded in November 2025 after Meta’s policy change. A parallel probe by the European Commission is examining whether Meta’s restrictions on third‑party AI services constitute anti‑competitive conduct under the Digital Markets Act. The timing of the order—just one day after the policy’s rollout to new users—highlights the regulator’s focus on the immediate impact on market access for emerging AI providers.
The ruling is expected to benefit AI companies that had been using WhatsApp’s Business API to reach its two‑billion‑user base. OpenAI, Perplexity, and Poke, among others, can now distribute their chatbots on the platform, potentially accelerating user acquisition and market penetration. For Meta, the policy change threatens its monetization strategy: the Business API generates revenue through message‑category fees, and allowing unregulated general‑purpose chatbots could dilute Meta’s control over the ecosystem and erode its revenue share.
Meta has filed an appeal, calling the order “fundamentally flawed.” The company maintains that the WhatsApp Business API was not engineered to handle the load of general‑purpose AI chatbots and that such services should be distributed through app stores or company websites. Meta’s own AI service, launched on WhatsApp in March 2025, underscores its intent to keep AI integration within its controlled product suite.
The decision signals a broader regulatory push against Big Tech’s gatekeeping practices in Europe. By opening WhatsApp to third‑party AI chatbots, the AGCM is reinforcing the principle that dominant platforms must not use their market power to stifle competition. The outcome will likely influence how Meta and other platforms structure their APIs and monetization models in the evolving AI ecosystem.
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