MILAN, July 30 (Reuters) -

Italy's antitrust authority said on Wednesday it had

launched an investigation into Meta Platforms ( META ) over

allegations it had abused its dominant position by

pre-installing its artificial intelligence tool on messaging

service WhatsApp.

The watchdog said Meta may have violated European Union

competition rules by integrating its Meta AI assistant into

WhatsApp without user consent.

Italian representatives from Meta were not immediately

available for comment.

Meta AI, which provides chatbot-style responses and

virtual assistant functions, has been part of WhatsApp's

interface since March 2025, and included in the app's search

bar, the authority said.

The regulator said inclusion could unfairly steer users

toward Meta's AI services, potentially harming competitors and

locking users into the platform.